Lady Magic
by AlexRyzlinGold
Summary: AU Voldemort wins. It's not until they've lost the war that Hermione finds out who, and what she truly is. Everyone else has been enslaved, but she has been freed in a way she couldn't of imagined. Now all she has to do, is live with it. Fey!Hermione.
1. Chapter 1

They had lost. Despite destroying all of the horcruxes they could, they had still lost. The Battle of Hogwarts never got past the front door, everything was lost before then, and Voldemort hadn't even needed to fight Harry. He hadn't wanted too. Months of sneaking around, searching for horcruxes had given him time to turn friends into enemies. He'd infiltrated everywhere. They'd been surrounded, and surrender their only option.

They had lost, and now, those left alive were being auctioned off in some sort of sick slave ring. Surrender had included being collared and their magic dampened. Hermione couldn't make heads or tails of how it all worked. Sometimes there were bids, galleons going higher and higher with each call, and sometimes someone just stepped forward and claimed one of the survivors as theirs.

Instead, these people seemed to pay with a token that was forfeited to Percy the same the galleons were. The tokens were black, with the dark mark engraved onto the surface and approximately the size of a hand. Each one was tossed into a box at Percy's feet, making a light clinking sound.

Percy, who stood arrogantly and calmly at the foot of Voldemort's throne, reading out each name and acting as the auctioneer. Percy, who was just one of many who had betrayed them.

Professor Sprout came forward with a token and claimed Neville and his grandmother, never looking up from her hands. Hermione could practically feel the shame coming from her, but all she could think was that at least Neville wouldn't be tortured this way. The Lestranges had been muttering to each other since the moment Neville was dragged forward, and Rodolphus looked more than a little put out as Professor Sprout lead Neville away.

The most surprising betrayal had been Professor McGonagall. She had been staring straight at Hermione all night, fiddling with the token in her fingers.

Order members, Ministry officials and Death Eaters alike all stepped forward to make claims.

When Andromeda Tonks had been dragged forward Bellatrix stepped forward and grabbed her sister's chin, looking into her eyes with a sneer.

"Her brat is mine as well."

One of the cloaked death eaters guided Tonks forwards, much more gently than her mother had been, but that was likely only because she held her newborn son in her arms. Bellatrix's grip tightened around Andromeda's face as she stared down at Tonks. Tonks refused to look up, hiding her face.

"Oh, a two for one deal. What a bargain, Andy."

Bellatrix let go of Andromeda, only to grip her harshly at the back of her neck to lead her out of the room. Tonks followed them, head still hung low. The fight had long been beaten out of her, and Hermione knew that her face was a canvas of blue, yellow and purple bruises.

Tonks had been the first to talk back to their slavers, and she had paid the price. Most of the bruises she hadn't earnt herself, rather she had been their whipping girl. It had stopped any rebellion far quicker than Hermione had expected. No one wanted little Teddy Lupin to lose both parents. Remus hadn't been seen in weeks.

Bellatrix didn't offer Percy any sort of payment and Hermione seriously doubted he had the guts to demand it from her. She supposed that being Voldemort's right hand had to afford some luxuries. Free slaves was probably one of them.

As much as Hermione felt for Andromeda and Tonks, she couldn't help but feel grateful that Bellatrix was gone. She wasn't sure she'd survive another extended stay in Bellatrix's care. Especially after Gringotts. Her rage from just thinking Hermione had possibly been in her vault was terrifying. The fact that Hermione had impersonated Bellatrix, broken into her vault, and destroyed everything on the way out? There probably wasn't a word to describe how much Bellatrix wanted to hurt her.

/

They were led down a large hallway. Tonks knew where they were going, she'd spent years as an aurora running through these halls trying to not be late to work. She usually was anyway.

What a time to meet her insane aunt. Beaten black and blue, sold to said aunt, all while clutching her newborn, who's father was somewhere. Remus hadn't even made it to the auction. He'd been handed off long before then, but a fast approaching full moon meant it was probably for the better.

Her insane aunt, who looked so much like her mother it was disturbing. Years in Azkaban had not been kind to Bellatrix, but it didn't wear itself on her face. No, she was still beautiful, if untameable and wild. It was in the way she walked, bow legged and uneven. In the way her hands tended to flutter around, looking to grasp at something, anything. Perhaps it was from too many years of clutching at bars. Her eyes moved over everything quickly. Seeing far more than others did. Her shoulders hunched, she'd probably been too tall to be comfortable in Azkaban, even without the dementors. Shoulders hunched or not, Bellatrix still towered over Tonks. Tall and strong, all muscle from fighting multiple wars.

Bellatrix stopped before one of the Ministry's many floo network fireplaces and turned her attention to Tonks.

"Brat, you will take the floo to the Lestrange Estate. I will bring my blood traitor of a sister with me. I don't trust her not to try and run away."

Bellatrix's hand tightened around Andromeda's neck, just as Andromeda opened her mouth to say something.

"Don't say anything you'll regret, Andy. You're not the one who will feel my anger if you do."

Tonks stifled a sigh. It looked like she was to be her mother's whipping girl too. Bellatrix hooked a finger under the collar around Tonks' neck and pulled, causing Tonks to stumble forward. The finger rose, forcing Tonks to look up at her aunt.

"Now, I'm sure you know that this little thing stops you from using magic, but now that I have claimed ownership of you, it allows me to track you. Anywhere. There is no escaping me, Brat. So be smart and do as I say. Understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Awww." Bellatrix cooed. "She's polite, Andy. Despite all the drivel I'm sure you filled her head with. Now go."

Tonks had taken a handful of floo powder and stepped towards the fireplace when she heard the growl behind her.

"Wait."

Bellatrix stormed towards her, letting go of Andromeda for the first time since they left the auction. With a swift yank she had taken off the cloak that rested on her shoulders. A well practised movement later, and Bellatrix fastened her cloak around Tonks' shoulders, making sure to fully cover Teddy.

"Wouldn't want him getting sick, now would we?" Bellatrix muttered. "Go."

Tonks nodded sharply, her eyes wide. She threw the handful of powder into the fire, called out her destination and stepped through.

Seconds after Tonks arrived at the Lestrange Estate a loud crack announced Bellatrix and Andromeda's arrival. This time Bellatrix held a tight grip on Andromeda's upper arm.

"Noory!"

With a quiet snap, a house elf appeared at Bellatrix's side.

"Has everything been packed?"

"Yes, Madame." The house elf squeaked. "Noory packed and Zanny moved it to Black Manor. But Noory has been bad. Noory wasn't able to collect some of the jewelry or books. Bad Noory!"

Bellatrix clicked her fingers and Noory let go of the ear he had been twisting as punishment.

"I don't care for my mother-in-law's hand-me-down jewelry. Most of that stuff is cursed anyway. Show me these books."

Bellatrix headed out of the room, Noory on her heels. She stopped briefly at the doorway and turned to Andromeda and Tonks.

"Wait here. I do mean that for your own safety. It's hard to tell what's lurking in this house now days."

Then she was gone.

Andromeda immediately turned to Tonks. They hadn't been able to talk since the end of the war.

"Oh sweetheart, how are you doing?"

Tonks shrugged. "It's just a few bruises, mum. I'll be fine."

Tonks lifted up Bellatrix's cloak and peered down at Teddy. Thankfully the newborn had slept right through the day so far.

"They'll heal over time, as long as we don't do anything to raise Bella's ire."

Tonks glanced up at her mother. "It's not me I'm worried about stepping out of line. I can play at meek, and hurt for my and Teddy's sake. You can't, and I'm the one who will end up getting hurt for it. She's already said as much."

"I…." As happy as Andromeda was to know that Tonks hadn't given up fighting, it hurt to have that fight directed at her. "I'm sorry Nymphadora. Bella has always been able to get under my skin. She's a difficult person to get along with."

"Bad mouthing your new mistress already slave? That's not a good way to make a good first impression."

The harsh voice floated into the room before the man did. Stepping out through the fireplace was Rodolphus Lestrange.

Tonks recognised him from the various wanted posters, while Andromeda could only think back to Bellatrix and Rodolphus' wedding. He looked far worse than either of them remembered. Azkaban and war had treated him badly.

Rodolphus' grin grew as he approached Andromeda.

"I'm sure we can beat that out of you."

He backhanded Andromeda, the force splitting open her lip and causing her to stumble backwards. Tonks shot out a hand, steadily her mother. If she wasn't holding Teddy she could possibly take him. The ache in her body would slow her down, but Rodolphus didn't seem to be in very good health at all. But she couldn't risk Teddy. He raised his hand again, but the strike never came.

Instead Rodolphus' hands went to his throat, where a thick leather whip had wound itself.

On the other end of the whip stood Bellatrix. Her teeth were bared in a cruel snarl.

"Oh, Roddy. You should know better than to touch my things."

She yanked on the whip and Rodolphus went flying back, landing on the floor with a loud thump. With a flick of her wrist, the whip reversed, turning back into Bellatrix's wand. She stormed forward, ignoring Rodolphus and taking in the damage to Andromeda's lip.

"As idiotic as he is, he is right. Watch your mouth, Andy. You never know who's listening."

Rodolphus staggered to his feet, clutching his throat.

"You bitch. What happened to a shared estate? What's mine is yours and all that shit?"

"What's yours is mine, Roddy." Bellatrix said with a laugh. "But I've never been one to share my toys. Be thankful that a little choking is all you got."

"You won't let me touch your property," Rodolphus spat. "You won't let me into your bed. I visit a whore once and the brothel burns down the next week. You wouldn't even let me buy the Longbottom boy to complete the set! What's man supposed to do?"

Bellatrix laughed, turning from Andromeda. The split lip hurt, but it wasn't too bad.

"A man? Why would you care what a man would do? You neither are one, nor will you ever be one."

Rodolphus drew his wand but Bellatrix was quicker. She deflected the hex sent her way and cast several of her own.

"What you should be, Roddy, is scared. But you already are, aren't you?"

Bellatrix advanced on him, deflecting each weak spell slung her way.

"You're scared that I'll go to the Dark Lord and ask permission to kill you. You're scared that he'll give it. I'm his favourite after all."

Bellatrix disarmed Rodolphus and pushed him against the wall. She held him still with one hand on either side of his head, her wand trapped uncomfortably against his skull.

"Isn't that right, you rat bastard? Well, let me put those fears to rest. I have asked him. Years ago. He gave me permission to end your life when we won. When you would be of no more use to him. I don't know if you've noticed, Roddy, but the war is over. We won. And now, I win."

Rodolphus' eyes rolled back into his head and his mouth dropped open. Bellatrix cackled as his body started to shake. Blood dripped from his nose and ears. Lots of blood, too much blood. Rodolphus' body stopped shaking eventually and Bellatrix pushed him aside. Her hands hung at her side. Blood dripped from her hands and wand and onto the floor.

"Noory." Bellatrix muttered.

Noory appeared beside Bellatrix. He managed to stifle his gasp, but a hand did rise to his mouth at the sight of Rodolphus' body.

"Noory."

"Yes, Madame!" Noory squeaked, ripping his eyes away from his old master.

"I need this cleaned up. Have his body interred with his parents. Send for a death certificate from the Ministry. Rabastan will need to be informed and then you will join me at Black Manor. Rab can inherit the estate, I don't care for it, but you will continue to serve me."

"Of course, Madame…" Noory glanced down at the body. "Mistress?"

"Mistress Black will do, elf. Now do your job."

Bellatrix turned. Tonks was surprised at the blank look on her face. In all the battles they had fought, Bellatrix had never been anything but joyous at the destruction she wrought. Andromeda however had seen that look before, a long time ago. Perhaps her sister wasn't as far gone as she had been led to believe. She had always been deadly serious when it mattered.

"To Black Manor. Now."

Andromeda nodded and grabbed a handful of floo powder. She tossed it into the fire and called out the name of her childhood home. Then she was gone.

Andromeda had just a fraction of hope that she'd be able to grab Nymphadora and run when they arrived in Black Manor. It was her childhood home after all, and she knew most, if not all of the secret passages.

Two things surprised Andromeda though, and quickly put a halt to any escape attempt.

Firstly, Nymphadora didn't come through the fireplace nearly as quickly as Andromeda had expected. It was unnerving because the idea of her Nymphadora alone with Bellatrix was terrifying.

Secondly, was that someone was waiting for them to arrive. Narcissa. She sat in an armchair, with a book in one hand. Seeing Narcissa was even more of a shock than when Bellatrix had skipped into the auction chamber. While Andromeda certainly paid attention to the news around her younger sister, it wasn't the same as seeing Bellatrix's face screaming at you from dozens of wanted posters all over Diagon Alley. Bellatrix had always been larger than life. Wanted posters somehow seemed more real than reading about Narcissa's fall from grace. It was easy to believe Bellatrix had fallen under the Dark Lord's thrall. Narcissa had always been better than that, better than both of them.

"Cissy." Andromeda said quietly.

Narcissa simply raised an eyebrow.

"That's awfully forward for someone who isn't family, Mrs Tonks."

Andromeda didn't know what she expected, but for some reason she had thought Narcissa would be the one look past her 'blood traitor' status. War did change people though. Being married to a prat like Lucius Malfoy was probably cause for change as well.

"Where is Madame Lestrange?" Narcissa said, breaking the silence between them. She snapped her book shut and stood.

"Apparently it's Mistress Black now." Andromeda's brow furrowed. "She should have been right behind me, with Nymphadora and Teddy."

"Then she will be here. It is not your place to wonder when."

Narcissa drew her wand and advanced on Andromeda. She caught Andromeda by her collar and peered at her face. Quickly, Narcissa raised her wand and tapped Andromeda's split lip. She cleaned away the blood but left the cut. Narcissa's wand came up under Andromeda's chin, forcing her to tilt her head back and move her head from side to side as Narcissa wished.

/

Tonks reached for the floo powder, not wanting to stay any longer that she had to at the Lestrange Estate.

Bellatrix's fingers found Tonks chin and turned her face towards her. Blood smeared across her face. How Bellatrix had moved across the room so fast was beyond her.

"Hmmm." Bellatrix mused as she peered into Tonks' eyes. "You're not as defeated as you'd have the world believe. To what end, Brat? Your family, I'd guess. A respectable enough reason. Survival over morals, a practical point of view. You might of made an acceptable Black. Had your mother not been a blood traitor."

Bellatrix released Tonks and waved her hand towards the fire place.

"Go. And make sure you cover the child well."

With a shaking hand, Tonks threw the floo powder into the fire place. She hadn't expected Bellatrix to see through her act so easily. She was an aurora and a metamorphmagus. Disguise and deception were her speciality. She adjusted the cloak around Teddy and stepped through, into Black Manor.

Bellatrix followed mere moments after.

"You've bruised her." Was their greeting.

Tonks heart jumped upon seeing her mother held at wand point, but the wand was quickly tucked away.

"I'm aware, Cissy." Bellatrix snapped.

"It isn't enough."

Bellatrix shrugged as she stalked through the room towards the armchair Narcissa had recently vacated. She dropped into it, making the chair creak terribly.

"It's fine. If anyone starts speaking up just tell them I turned her brat into a whipping girl for her transgressions."

Narcissa hummed, glancing over Tonks.

"She does look the part. Now get up, you have an auction to get back to, and you're getting blood on my favourite chair."

"It's my house, Cissy. I don't care if it's your favourite chair."

To prove her point, Bellatrix dragged a hand down the side of the chair, smearing the blood as far as she could.

"You're disgusting." Narcissa said with a scrunched nose. "I assume this has something to do with your slave telling me you go by Mistress Black again?"

Bellatrix pouted. "Oh yes, it's horrible news! I've been recently widowed."

"My sympathies." Narcissa drawled as she flicked her wand and forcefully cleaned the blood off of Bellatrix's hands. The chair would likely have to be thrown out. Especially if it had Rodolphus' blood on it.

"Bella, you're expected back."

Bellatrix rose with a grumble.

"Fine, fine. I'll pick up the paperwork for … what is the whelp's name?"

She wiggled her fingers vaguely in Tonks' direction.

"Edward Remus Lupin."

"What a god awful name." Bellatrix scoffed. "I'll pick up a name change form as well. At least Edward Black is somewhat respectable."

"What do you want with my son?"

Bellatrix spun at the loud voice from behind her. She grinned as she slowly advanced on her niece.

"Well, someone found their backbone again, now didn't they? I suggest you lose it again before I beat you with it."

"Edward is to become Bella's ward. The Dark Lord has put very strict rules in place to stop the child being punished for their parent's failure. He will be cared for, supplied for, and taught the proper ways of our family. You will most certainly look after him, but as far as the rest of the world is concerned, he is Bellatrix's responsibility."

Nymphadora looked shocked. Narcissa softened her voice.

"It is better for him this way. He can be free, and happy, not bogged down by the cost of war."

"Don't undermine my threats with logic and reasoning, Cissy." Bellatrix groaned.

"Either way, he's much safer than either of you. I bet I can even make a proper Black out of him."

Bellatrix turned to the fireplace, but was waylaid by Narcissa grabbing her arm.

"Give these to Draco, please." She said as she handed over a velvet bag.

"He's stupid for wanting this, but fine. Don't put yourself in anyone else's debt over this endeavour. If he's a few token short I'll supply him."

The tokens were favours. From the Dark Lord originally, but they had become a black market currency. One could bribe, or buy with them. Even the Dark Lord would take them in exchange of punishment, if the price was right. Bellatrix never used them though. Why would she? If she wanted something she just took it, and if she couldn't take it, she'd ask the Dark Lord for it. He rarely refused her. Like Andromeda. Andromeda was hers. Why would she pay for something that was hers?

It was the same with punishments. If she had earnt one it was hers to take. What sort of coward paid his way out of pain he'd inflicted on himself? Well, Rodolphus obviously, if the lack of tokens on his body was any indication.

Bellatrix turned to Andromeda and Nymphadora.

"Do whatever Narcissa tells you. She'll show you your rooms, or whatever."

Bellatrix grabbed a handful of floo powder and disappeared from Black Manor.

Few people would dare to stop her as she stormed through the Ministry towards the auction room.

Her entrance wasn't exactly dramatic, but few could stop themselves from looking at a storming Bellatrix. From a safe distance, of course. The Dark Lord nodded to her, acknowledging her presence. It was subtle, but those who knew their Lord would pick up on it. Apparently he approved of her taking in her wayward sister and the brats. He'd always been strangely focused on family.

She made her way over to Draco, making an effort to stand as close to him as possible. He hated it, but was too stubborn to step away when she invaded his personal space. Too much like his mother, in that way.

"I have something for you, Little Dragon. From your mother."

She dropped the purse of tokens into his hand.

"Thank you, Aunt Bella."

"Next time be man enough to just ask me yourself." She hissed. "Otherwise your mother will find herself owning more than she can repay, just to pander to your stupid plans."

Draco gritted his teeth, but nodded. Bellatrix ran a hand through his hair, messing up the carefully slicked back look.

"Have Severus make the bid." She whispered in his ear. "With your father's recent failures he'll be less inclined to give in to you, and he'll be firmly against shared ownership. Give the tokens to Severus on the condition that he mentor you. You'll be his vassal until your mentorship is up. It's the best you're going to get. A united front is needed, or you'll get nothing."

Draco nodded again before stepping away.

"A pleasure as always, Aunt Bella." He said with a bow, before heading across the room to Severus.

Their plan was stupid, but if Draco was determined to follow it, she'd damn we'll make sure he succeeded. A Black never failed.

Bellatrix turned back to the Weasel running everything just as he called out the name of his own family members.

"Fleur Weasley."

Obviously married into the family, since her hair wasn't obnoxiously red. She was a pretty one too, though she stood with too much confidence. Any other day, Bellatrix would have been tempted. She has bigger plans though. Plans that involved a certain mudblood.


	2. Chapter 2

Fleur stepped forward with her head held high. It was all Dolores Umbridge could do to not giggle. This woman was a nobody, but she was a breakable nobody. She'd had such bad luck all day. Any of the brats she'd caught as members of Dumbledore's Army had been snapped up by ex-Order members. It almost seemed planned. Everytime she took a step forward someone else was always quicker, and then always had at least one of those damned tokens that meant her galleons were worthless. Even one favour from the Dark Lord was worth more than all the galleons in Gringotts, and she certainly didn't have that much. What frustrated her the most was that it cost one token to even enter the auction room, so all of these people giving up tokens to purchase slaves obviously had more than one. Even Minerva Bloody McGonagall had one in her hands, not that she was doing anything with it. The turncoat had been gifted two tokens! Two! Dolores had only been given one. Just enough to enter the auction, but not enough to buy anything.

After all she'd done! She stabilised the Ministry. Perhaps with a bit of help, but it had been mostly her! She deserved something for her hard work, and it was going to be this nobody.

Alright, she wasn't quite a nobody. Married to a Weasley was something, and she had competed in the Triwizard tournament. Surely no one else would think of those as accomplishments though? She was destined to be Dolores'. She stepped forward.

So did five others.

Dolores fumed silently. Surely she deserved this more than a few washed up Ministry officials and … Pansy Parkinson! The idiot hadn't even finished her schooling, and she had been subpar at best. Not that many of the students at Hogwarts the previous year had actually taken any tests due to the war, and therefore most hadn't passed the year, but that was beside the point.

Voldemort chuckled. "Quite the popular one, isn't she?"

Pansy bowed slightly, and looked up at the Dark Lord with a smirk. "She's pretty, My Lord, and it always helps that she's part Veela. Makes things …. interesting."

Dolores' teeth clenched. This girl talked to the Dark Lord with such familiarity.

"That it does, Lady Parkinson."

"Are we doing this or not?" Snapped Dolores.

Pansy eyed her old Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, a smirk still on her lips.

"We were about to." Percy said with a disapproving scowl.

The first bid came in, and Dolores easily outbid it. Then the next and the next. Bidding petered out, and everyone had stepped back except Dolores and Pansy.

Dolores took a step forward, but was halted by Percy snapping at her.

"The slave isn't yours yet, Miss Umbridge. You will not touch her until she is." Percy's voice softened. "Lady Parkinson, this is your last chance to make a bid."

Pansy tore her gaze away from the stonework in the ceiling that she had been inspecting while the other four bidders tried their best to prove themselves superior. Pansy glanced at Dolores, her face still impassively bored. It was infuriating how little she seemed to care about the whole affair when Dolores had so much riding on it.

"Of course. I bid one."

She reached into her robes and produced a single token. She walked to Percy and handed it over before slowly approaching Fleur and holding out an arm to her.

Fleur stared at her for a long second before taking the offered arm and leaving with her head still held high. She was trembling and Pansy most definitely felt it, but if she was lucky at least no one else would see it.

Dolores was furious. It was written all over her face and most moved out of her way, though it wasn't out of fear. Pity and laugher followed her. It wasn't until she reached the floo network that she could let it out.

"How dare you?" She screeched.

Pansy stopped and turned ever so slightly. With a sigh she turned around fully, meeting Dolores head on.

"Miss Umbridge, what an … expected surprise."

"I deserve her." Spat Dolores. "More than you do. I did everything to keep the Ministry together during the war."

"I don't see how that's my problem. You were rewarded as the Dark Lord saw fit. If you have a problem with that, take it up with him. It would be treason of course, but if you feel that strongly about it…"

Pansy trailed off.

"I did more than you!"

Pansy raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps, but let me educate you on something everyone but you seems to have realised. Our Lord doesn't need sweet talking sycophants. He needs people who do what needs to be done. You spent the war looking out for yourself, and you were rewarded as such. Either grow a backbone and learn to actually serve our Lord, or move over and let someone else do it."

With that Pansy turned and led Fleur to a fireplace and to Parkinson Villa.

Pansy gently untangled their arms and strode further into the sitting room the floo network had spat them out into.

She clicked her fingers and a house elf appeared.

"Juney." Pansy said quietly. "Have all the rooms been prepared?"

"Yes, Mistress. The mediwitch has been summoned, and there is food cooking."

"Good. Mrs Weasley here will need…"

"I will not sleep with you. I am married."

Pansy stared at Fleur, her mouth hanging open. Her shock quickly morphed into laughter, and for the first time since the war had started, Pansy's persona of bored indifference broke down.

After a few minutes, Pansy laughter died down into quiet giggles.

"I mean it." Fleur said, ever so slightly affonted.

Pansy waved a hand at her. "I didn't buy you to fuck! Salazar's Snake, I'm happily engaged, and I'm sure my fiancé would break it off if I were to indulge."

"He is the jealous type?" Fleur asked with some confusion.

"Not really." Pansy mused. "He's rather forward thinking, actually. We intend him to stay home and look after the children whenever that happens. But he is your brother-in-law, and I think it would hurt him to lose something else to his siblings."

Pansy glanced at the clock.

"Blast it. I need to get back, there's too much still to do. Juney, keep Fleur company until I'm back."

With that Pansy apperated away.

"Juney." Fleur said slowly. "Who is Miss Parkinson engaged too?"

"Mistress Parkinson is engaged to Mister Percy Weasley."

"Percy?!"

/

Pansy made her way back to the auction. Thankful that she wasn't to have another run in with the horrible Dolores Umbridge. If the world was lucky, Umbridge had been escorted out security. Entering the auction room again proved that the world wasn't so lucky, but at least Umbridge was staying towards the back of the crowd.

Pansy slowed down as she walked further into the room. McGonagall was staring at Granger so forcefully that she was surprised Granger hadn't caught fire yet. She stopped just to McGonagall's left.

"Professor." Pansy said quietly.

McGonagall jumped, obviously having not noticed Pansy's approach.

"Lady Parkinson. How has your day been?" She said tersely.

"Fruitful." The temptation to be obscene about Fleur just to get a rise was strong, but McGonagall was one of theirs now. Besides, she was unlikely to be heard out if she pushed McGonagall's buttons.

"Unlike your day if you hold on to false hope. One token is not enough."

Pansy tilted her head towards Hermione. The blasted girl couldn't even manage to look defeated after losing a war. Though she was scarred and obviously affected by the war. She didn't keep her head down, and though she seemed to stare blankly around the room, Pansy could tell she was focused on whoever seemed to be speaking. That blank gaze was just a bit too accurate. Next to her sat Harry and Ron. Ron sat with his head resting on his knees, probably trying to ignore everything going on around him. Harry on the other hand stared bravely at Voldemort, not to get a single look back.

"It will take at least ten tokens to buy her." Pansy said, before lowering her voice again. "Potter and Weasley will be looked after. There are plans in place, but there are only so many people with the tokens needed to purchase one of the Golden Trio. Unfortunately for Granger the only person left with that many tokens does not wish her well."

Pansy looked to Bellatrix, and after a few seconds McGonagall followed her gaze.

Her breath caught. "No. I can't just …."

"You have to." Pansy said. "You can't help her."

"Then what use was switching sides?"

"Help someone else."

McGonagall's jaw tensed and Pansy took that as her cue to leave. She moved across the room and waited. It was all about waiting now.

Several auctions later and McGonagall stepped forward to hand her token over to Percy and claim Cho Chang. Pansy hid her smile.

"Molly Weasley."

Pansy knew most wouldn't hear the waver in Percy's voice, but she did.

She stepped forward. No one else did. Pansy stepped up to Percy and pulled a velvet bag from within her robes. She tossed it unopened to Percy, forcing him to open it and count them himself.

"Seventeen."

"Has she done something to offend you, Lady Parkinson?" Voldemort queried. "That is more favours than many see in a lifetime."

It was a lot of tokens, but Pansy had worked hard for her share and Percy had worked for days on end with no sleep to get his. Pansy was responsible for some of the more impressive turncoats. Each one had earnt her at least one token and Percy had done much to get the rest.

Percy had a knack for paperwork. He reorganised the whole Ministry without many people knowing and more than a few files went missing or where pushed through when they shouldn't have been. Then of course, had been the paperwork the Death Eaters did. Death Eaters did not like paperwork. Pansy was fairly sure the majority of the tokens they received were from Bellatrix in the few weeks since the war had ended. Once what she did was legitimate, paperwork needed to be filed and Bellatrix was not the sort to do so happily.

"No, My Lord. I want the lot. Every single red headed freak." She smiled. "They'd make a wonderful gift."

Voldemort nodded at her. She had the tokens, there was no reason why not, and the Parkinsons had always been rather loyal. Shame about her parents deaths, but Pansy had already proven useful during her final year at Hogwarts. McGonagall had been her conversion after all, and what a blow to the Order it had been.

McGonagall had been a turning point in the war. Pansy had gone to her a week after the Ministry fell to Voldemort. Another student had been pulled from the school due to the death of a parent.

Pansy had an open invitation to Malfoy Manor during the war. Both because it was Voldemort's base of operations, and because technically Pansy was still promised to Draco. Both Pansy and Narcissa knew that it would never come to fruition. Not after the war. For the sake of appearances though, they would act as if nothing had changed. So Pansy found herself in Malfoy Manor library often, looking for information in some of the older books.

She had been in Malfoy Manor when the snatchers came with the boy who may be Harry Potter (of course it was him, but it was Draco's game to play, not hers) and his two friends. She had watched as Hermione was left with Bellatrix. Not all of it, but enough. She had retired to the library once more, casting a disillusionment charm on herself. It was never a good idea to have Bellatrix notice you when she was in a mood. She couldn't save the girl, but she also couldn't bare to watch. She didn't reveal herself when Bellatrix surged in, Narcissa close on her heels. They talked and Pansy listened. It's what she did, found information out on people and used it to help the Dark Lord.

She learnt much that day. Enough to steal into McGonagall's chambers when the woman was feeling low and destroy any hope she had left. The Golden Trio was captured, McGonagall even watched her memory of it for proof. They'd failed in their secret task, and the war was already lost. Pansy gave her another option. Survival. Survival with the chance to help those she cared about. From the inside she could help, but from the outside all she had to look forward to was death.

With McGonagall secured everyone else fell easily.

"Of course. You have my blessing, dear." He said softly.

"Thank you, My Lord."

Seventeen tokens later and Pansy owned a clan of people. Now she just needed to get them back to Parkinson Villa.

/

It took a little bit of organisation, but Pansy was able to get the help of a few Death Eaters to escort her new slaves to Parkinson Villa easily enough. They went through the floo network, even though apperating would have been easier. She may support the Dark Lord, but that didn't mean she was going to let random Death Eaters through her wards that easily.

Since the Dark Lord's victory, the Death Eater ranks had swelled. More and more people had willingly taken the mark. Most of them thinking it would improve their status. To some extend it would. Death Eaters would always be feared, but there was a difference between those who took the dark mark because He won, and those who took it to help Him win. Pansy was one of the latter.

She wasn't a Death Eater though, not exactly. She had made it clear to the Dark Lord that while he had her services, she was better suited to the more subtle work rather than death and destruction. Not every woman could be Bellatrix.

People had always underestimated Pansy. To begin with, she had been quite obsessed with Draco, but then, he was her intended. As he had started to drift further and further away from his friends though, Pansy had realised that no one took her seriously. They all thought that the only thing she cared about was finding a husband. It was infuriating to begin with, but then she learnt to use it.

It wasn't Pansy, she was just doing what Draco told her to. It wasn't Pansy, she's too obsessed with boys. It wasn't Pansy, she wasn't smart enough.

It was Pansy though. Pansy who knew how to make words hurt, to say the worst thing to ruin your day. The flip side was that she knew when to say the right thing too.

So, she had taken the dark mark, and the Dark Lord had respected her parents enough when they had served him that He listened when she spoke about her abilities.

It all led to this moment. A bunch of ginger blood traitors filling up her sitting room. What she did for love….

Pansy stared impassively around the room. The Death Eaters stood together with their wands drawn and pointed at the Weasleys. Most of the Weasleys glared at her, though Bill was trying to subtly move towards Fleur. He was rather bad at it.

Pansy turned to the Death Eaters.

"Thank you for your help, gentlemen. I can take it from here."

The Death Eaters bowed and left through the floo. Pansy flicked her wand at the fireplace, blocking off floo access for the time being. It wouldn't do to have to chase after the Weasleys if they tried to escape. There were so many of them, and it would take up far too much of her time, even if she could locate them easily through the collars.

Pansy took a step forward, and almost as one all the Weasleys took a step back. All except Fleur who was comfortably sitting in a chair with a book Juney must of bought her, and Ginny, who looked so annoyed there probably wasn't any room left in her body for any other emotions. Not even sensible ones like caution or fear.

"Oh, wipe that look off your face Weaselette. Like it or not, and trust me, I don't particularly like it, the two of us are going to have to get along. While I can happily leave your family to live the rest of their lives here and not worry about a single thing, you have become my ward."

"What?" Ginny yelled along with several others.

"You are underage, are you not, Miss Weasley?" Pansy asked calmly.

"Well, yes. But only…"

Pansy cut her off. "It does not matter than you are underage by a matter of months rather than years. What matters is that you are, in fact, a child. Legally speaking of course. Your parents, given that they are now slaves, cannot look after you. Therefore, as their owner, you are to become my ward. It is simple, and quite irreversible."

Ginny stood still, absolutely stunned.

"Be thankful that our Lord is merciful." Pansy said darkly. "He sees your actions and your association with Potter as nothing more than a youthful indiscretion. We all know it's not, but it's not my place to question His orders. Be thankful that I take my role as your guardian seriously. You will learn how to be a proper Pureblood lady, and you will not embarrass me by failing."

Pansy met Ginny's gaze unwaveringly, hoping that somehow the girl would see how serious she was being. She wouldn't of course. It would take time, but Pansy could hope.

Ginny just glared. With a small sigh, Pansy turned to the elf standing by Fleur, still keeping her company as ordered.

"Juney, I'll have you escort the Weasleys to their rooms, and then inform my fiancé that he'll have to apparate to the gates since I've blocked the floo."

Fleur smirked ever so slightly at the mention of her fiancé. Pansy didn't like that look one bit. She didn't want the Weasleys to know of her relationship with Percy until she could deal with it with Percy actually there. If she had to deal with his family, so did he.

Pansy flicked her wand at Fleur.

"Subjugale mutum."

That caused quite the ruckus. Several Weasleys reached for wands they no longer had, while Bill bounded across the room, no longer worried about being subtle.

Fleur scowled up at her, obviously wanting to to say something but unable. She had been muted after all.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "You really will have to get over this fight or flight reflex of yours. It's just a muting curse, I'll return her voice at dinner."

Molly drew herself up to her full height, which Pansy felt was a little lacking. It seemed that it was the woman of the Weasley family that had fight in them. Ron and Arthur still stood at the back of the room, very definitely not causing a scene.

"You have no right to curse her!"

Pansy raised an eyebrow and looked down at Molly.

"You seem to have mistaken my kindness in keeping you together as a sign that I give a fuck about a single one of you. I do not, and I most definitely do not owe you any explanations. You are my slaves, my property. I can do what I want with you and you're just going to have to live with it. I could kill or crucio every single one of you, and you know who would stop me? No one. Absolutely no one. I'm sure several of my peers would even congratulate me on it."

With that Pansy turned on her heels and apperated away.

/

Dinner was painfully awkward. Percy's entrance, and in particular the kiss Pansy had placed on his cheek, had been met by a mixture of disbelief and insults. Pansy had already hexed both Fred and George into silence. Molly seemed both happy that she knew the fate of her missing son (and that he was engaged) and infuriated that he had turned to the dark side. Ron, surprisingly enough was the one to clap Percy on the shoulder and give him a nod of respect. Pansy wondered, not for the first time, if being in the run over the past year had changed the Golden Trio more than anyone knew. It certainly seemed that way. The last year has certainly changed her.

"So," Ron eventually said through a mouth full of potato. "How'd you two even meet? I thought you were at Hogwarts all year Parkinson."

"I was able to skip classes in order to pursue other activities in the Ministry. I had an internship of sorts that allowed me to work in most departments. Between the various tasks the Dark Lord set me I was able to get to know Percy. He asked me to marry him the night the war ended. I said yes."

"Your parents allowed that?" Arthur asked curiously.

"Of course not, I'm sure they'd be horrified at the amount of blood traitors in their summer house right now. Both my parents are dead. Mad Eye Moody killed them while they were helping to transport prisoners to Azkaban. Some of yours I believe."

Pansy shrugged, still cutting into her dinner. "I avenged them though. I think they'd have been proud of what I've accomplished."

Charlie looked at her curiously. "That's both horrifying and heartwarming. You remind me of a dragon I used to work with."

"I've been called worse."

Pansy was going to hate this. Every second of it. At least the name calling had stopped. It was possible that the twins would end up permanently muted though.


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione didn't know how to feel about Ron being gone. On one hand she worried about it, but on the other hand he was with his family. Parkinson wasn't that bad. She was a bit of a bitch, but she wasn't a sadistic mess like some of Voldemort's followers. Though Hermione couldn't think of a single reason that she'd want the whole clan, except for that comment of hers. Gifting the family? To whom?

It was the hush that truly brought Hermione's attention back to the room. She had been so good at following everything that had gone on during the day, her one slip and something happens. Trust Ron to be the cause of it.

Though the room had hushed, there was still noise. Luna stood in the spotlight, her name obviously having been called by Percy. She chatted with Voldemort and he seemed to have no intention of stopping her.

Xenophilius Lovegood stood forward from everyone else, a token clutched in his hands. He looked as confused as everyone else at the conversation, but unlike everyone else he also looked frightened.

"You are a delightfully strange creature Miss Lovegood." Voldemort said.

"Oh no, my Lord." Luna said softly. "I'm not that strange. At least by my standards. Anyway, I really must be going."

Luna stepped forward and the chain around her ankle melted away as if it had never been there. She reached for the collar at her neck and easily took it off. It looked as if it passed through her neck before disappearing into a shower of blue sparkles.

There was a flurry of action. Wands were drawn and pointed at both Luna and the remaining slaves. Voldemort held up a hand and slowly wands were put away.

"Of course, Miss Lovegood, but I do believe you are waiting for someone." He gestured towards his throne. "Why don't you wait up here with me? Out of the way."

Luna looked confused for a second before nodding and heading towards Voldemort.

"Yes, I am waiting for someone. I wonder who it is."

Lavender Brown was claimed by Professor Trelawney.

The Creevey brothers were claimed by some Ministry official.

Then the auction chamber door opened, and in walked the strangest person Hermione had ever seen. Which was saying something, because she had spent time with Tonks the day she decided to learn how to do a platypus bill instead of her normal mouth and nose.

The woman was tall. Easily taller than everyone else in the room. Hagrid would have been her only competition, but he was long gone. Her skin was pale to the point that it seemed to be translucent. Only where most people would have veins, she seemed to have small glimmers of light trapped beneath her skin that flowed through her body.

Her face houses high cheekbones, and large grey eyes. Her lips were painted red, and when she smiled at Voldemort she showed off rows of sharp teeth. Her black hair was piled upon her head and odd lights glittered across it. Almost as if the stars themselves moved through the silky strands.

It surprised Hermione that the woman's ears weren't pointed, but curved and looked distinctly human. Because this woman most definitely was not human.

She wore a green gown that swept down her figure, but left her shoulders, arms and back free. At times it was so tightly fitted that it seemed to have sprouted from her skin, and indeed along her back, and up to the ivy wreath that crowned the woman's head, leaves and flowers did sprout through her skin.

She stopped just inside the doorway and looked around the room curiously. Her eyes brightened the moment they landed on Voldemort and she moved further into the room.

While he didn't smile exactly, he did look pleased. Voldemort rose from his throne and met the woman in the spotlight that the slaves had been presented in.

The woman's skin positively glowed the moment more direct light hit it, and the flowers running up her spine started to bloom.

"My Lady." Voldemort said with a bow.

The woman tilted her head and looked down at Voldemort. As he rose she placed a hand on his cheek and gazed at him fondly.

"My dark prince. You won your little war. Well done."

Her voice was higher pitched than Hermione expected, and much softer. It seemed like at any second, every word could be whipped away on the wind.

"With your support, my Lady, there was never any doubt."

The whispers started at the back of the room, but soon nearly everyone was talking. Who was this woman? Why did the Dark Lord respect her so much? What support had she given during the war?

"No, there wasn't. I'm glad you took my advice about the boy in the end. Enough pleasantries, I've come to collect what's mine."

Voldemort nodded and gestured behind him where Luna was rocking gently back and forth on the balls of her feet. The woman's eyes followed his gesture and she gasp softly, pulling her hands to her chest.

"She's magnificent."

It only took a few strides for her to move across the room and scoop Luna up in a hug that lifted her off her feet. Luna looked startled for a second before giggling. Once she was back on the ground, Luna took a step back and gave the woman a small bow.

"It's lovely to meet you, your Majesty."

"Oh, you too, my dear. I've been looking forward to this day since your mother told me you existed. I can't wait to take you to my home and show you everything."

"No!" Every head in the room turned to Xenophilius Lovegood as he stared at his daughter. "I … I have a token."

The woman tilted her head to the side. She reminded Hermione of a confused dog.

"I don't understand. A token?" She asked quietly.

Luna placed a hand on the woman's arm and smiled up at her briefly before walking to her father.

Luna placed her hands in her father's.

"It's okay, Daddy. She's like mother. I'll be fine. I'll be safe, but I need to do this. I need to learn all the things mother couldn't teach me. I'll visit though, and I'll show you all the things I've learnt. We'll be able to catch a Wrackspurt for sure next time."

"I can't lose you." Xenophilius whispered.

"You won't. It'll be like Hogwarts, I'll be back for Christmas."

Xenophilius took a deep breath and nodded.

The woman peered at Xenophilius curiously, but smiled at him when he noticed. With her sharp teeth, it didn't seem to put him at ease As Luna approached the woman a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"We have another to collect, little one."

Luna nodded. "I know."

The woman moved towards the defeated Order members. Hermione was vaguely curious which of the Order members this woman was interested in. Luna just … made sense. Whatever this woman was, Luna being like her was just so understandable that Hermione couldn't imagine anyone else. Maybe Tonks, but Tonks was long gone.

The woman stopped in front of Hermione and Hermione realised she didn't wear any shoes. How peculiar, though, combined with everything else about the woman it really shouldn't have been.

Long fingers reached out and tilted Hermione's chin up.

"It's time to come home, child."

Everything was silent to Hermione. She could focus on nothing but the woman.

Only one answer made any sense to Hermione in that moment.

"Okay." She whispered.

Sound flooded back to her. Most people were muttering in shock, or displeasure. She heard comments about her being stolen from those who were loyal.

"Of course she's one of them." Bellatrix scoffed. Then she laughed. "Of fucking course. Too bad Muddy, I was so looking forward to playing with you. I guess you're safe. For now."

That seemed to shut everyone up. Either because they realised Hermione would never have gone to anyone but Bellatrix, or because Bellatrix acknowledged this woman's authority, Hermione couldn't tell.

The woman smiled down at Hermione. Then she bent over and picked Hermione up under the armpits and high into the air. Hermione's eyes wide at the shear strength needed to do it. The chains around her wrists and feet fell away as if they never existed in the first place. Her collar was removed in the same way Luna's was, a shower of sparkles and it was gone.

Hermione was placed back on the ground and she spared a look at Harry. He was obviously curious, but more than anything she saw hope. Hope that she'd be okay, that she'd be looked after even if he wasn't. He smiled and Hermione did everything in her power to not sob. Her chest constricted and it felt like her tongue was too thick in her mouth.

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose. She turned from Harry. She could do this. She had to.

The woman smiled at her brightly.

"You're one of us now, young one. We'll look after you."

Luna took Hermione's hand and held it gently while the woman moved back to Voldemort. He had seated himself again on his throne. Hermione was dragged by Luna to stand behind the woman.

She palmed Voldemort's cheek once more and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"You've held up your side of the contract so far, my dark prince. Make sure you follow through with the rest."

Her voice dropped, and Hermione was sure that aside from Voldemort, herself and Luna were the only ones to hear the next few words.

"Or I will find every shred of your soul left in this world and erase you from existence."

Her smile remained, despite the harsh words. Voldemort's didn't but he did nod to her.

"Until next time, my Lady."

The woman laughed lightly. "No. You should hope there's not a next time, dark prince."

She placed a hand on Hermione and Luna's shoulders and the three disappeared in a white flash.

Silence rang out through the room. There were meant to be anti-apparition wards on the room.

Percy looked up at Voldemort, and received a nod. Clearing his throat he called out the next name, hoping to bring the room back to some sort of normalcy.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt!"

/

Hermione blinked a few times and slowly her vision came back to her. They were standing in a garden, with the flowers in full bloom. To the side there was a large lake, with water so clear Hermione couldn't tell how deep it was.

There wasn't a single soul within sight. The longer she looked, the more the garden just didn't add up. There was no wind, and while there seemed to be a sky above them there wasn't any heat from the sun. Nor did anything cast shadows on the ground

"Where are we?" Hermit asked. "This place isn't …"

She couldn't find the word for it. Right? Real?

"This is the garden." The woman explained. "It's where we meet humans. They do not see it like we do."

She pointed to part of the sky, and the longer Hermione stared at it the clearer it became that they were in a room. She could see where the ceiling met the walls, though it was faint.

"It keeps them calm. It makes dealing with them easier. Humans are very … emotional."

Hermione felt for a second that she should take offense to the statement, but it wasn't exactly untrue. She wondered if that's why Luna always seemed so calm and even tempered.

The woman guided them towards where Hermione expected a wall was. With a wave of her hand the woman revealed a doorway. Her hands once again came to rest one on each of their shoulders.

They walked silently down a hallway and past several opened doors. Glances were thrown their way by a range of creatures. Some looked more human, while some looked more like animal hybrids. Some seemed indescribable, and at least one was a giant blue chicken. Hermione was sure of it. A few waved towards them, or nodded in greeting. Most just stared curiously.

Eventually they came to a round room. As soon as they entered the door behind them slammed shut and the walls started spinning. It reminded Hermione of the Department of Mysteries. As she had expected, once the room stopped, a single door lay in front of them. It opened as they approached, showing a large bedroom with two large beds. The ceiling itself seemed to produce all of the light for the room as there were no windows. There was a door opposite the beds, leading somewhere. Hopefully to a bathroom.

There was a chest of draws, and a closet, both made of wood, though Hermione wasn't sure that they were built. They seemed more like trees that had just grown to look exactly like furniture. Especially since they still had green leaves and bark surrounding them.

It was pretty enough, but it struck Hermione that is seemed awfully … human. Aside from the living furniture, of course.

All the other rooms she had glanced in had seemed to radiate magic and a sense of otherness. Even the hallway had seemed just slightly off from what Hermione was used to. This room was boring in comparison.

"Quite, young one." The woman said knowingly as she lifted her hands off of their shoulders. "This room is is part of my private wing. It is meant to look as human as possible. I figure this is as good a place to put you for now, at least until we can decide on where you are best suited in the court. I will be close by. Just think of me and I will be there. The time for questions is tomorrow. Tonight you should rest."

She smiled at them both and turned to leave.

Hermione waited until the door was fully closed to speak. Luna had already started to investigate the room.

"What are we doing here, Luna?"

Luna pulled a pair of pajamas out of a closet and handed them to Hermione before finding a pair for herself.

"This is home. My mother always told me about it. She wanted to bring me here but she never had the chance."

Hermione stared down at the pajamas. They looked normal enough.

"Where are we? Are we still in London?"

Luna frowned in thought. "I don't think you can even say we're on Earth. Not technically."

She held up one hand, flat and straight up and down. "This is Earth, and this,"

Luna held up her other hand and pressed them together. "This is us now. I guess you could call it another realm, or another plane of existence. We're where the fey live, where the wild magic started."

"That woman. She's the Queen, isn't she? The Queen of the Fey."

Luna shrugged and dug through a draw. She grinned when she pulled out a fluffy towel.

"That's one of her names. She has many. Titania, Una, Morgana, and some refuse to even give her a name. Mother always called her Elphame."

Luna pulled out another towel and chucked it at Hermione before dragging the other girl to the door. Hermione had been right in thinking it was a bathroom.

The centre of the room housed a large bath, while one wall was compromised completely of mirrors.

Luna knelt next to the bath and frowned at it. There were no taps, or anything that you'd need to fill it with water.

"I think" Luna said softly. "that you just need to really want a bath for it to fill."

Hermione knelt next to her. "I think I can manage that, I don't think I've felt clean for over a year."

Nothing happened straight away, though Hermione hadn't really expected it to. Sure, the Queen seemed to be able to read her mind (and that was something she'd deal with another time because right now it was far too much in one day), but it was unlikely her bath could.

She'd been practicing wandless magic while hunting for horcruxes. Hermione wouldn't say she could really don't any yet, but it did seem like she was more in touch with her magic than before.

Taking a chance, Hermione let her magic wander from her body, where it usually lay tightly controlled. It was the first thing McGonagall had taught her upon handing Hermione her Hogwarts letter. How to reign her magic in and stop the accidental leaks that cause things like levitating books.

Wandless magic was the opposite of that, and that was as far as Hermione had gotten. She could push she magic out of that tightly controlled core. So she did.

The bath started filling with warm water and bubbles the second her magic touched the tiles.

"Amazing." Luna whispered.

Hermione nodded, staring at the filling water with a grin too intensely to realise that Luna wasn't talking about the bath.

Hermione's gaze snapped away from the bath when she noticed Luna moving beside her. She quickly looked to the wall opposite her as she realised Luna was already disrobing.

"Did you want to go first then?" Hermione asked uncertainly.

Luna giggled and slipped into the bath.

"There's more than enough space for both of us."

Hermione nodded, her face beet red. She sat for a few seconds, but evidently it was a few seconds too long. Luna splashed her, and as warm water turned cold in the air Hermione had no choice but to undress and join Luna in the bath.

At least Luna had the decency to cover her eyes with her hand as Hermione slipped in.

"You're terrible, Luna."

"I've never pulled a practical joke on anyone before. Was it any good?"

"I…" Hermione paused. It wasn't really a practical joke. "Yes, it was very good."

/

This was it. He was the only one left. Had other arrangements not been made, Harry was sure that it was meant to be Hermione, Ron and himself left until last. Then everything had happened, and Harry found himself alone. The room was silent and Percy stared oddly at him. The drumming of fingers on wood made Percy jump and he cleared his throat.

"Harry Potter."

Harry was lifted up by the two Death Eaters standing on either side of him. His legs hadn't worked properly since the end of the war so they were forced to take nearly his full weight.

No one stepped forward to claim him. He had expected a rush, perhaps. People who wanted to punish him. Maybe he wasn't even meant to reach this point. Maybe he was to be executed.

He hadn't expected nothing though. It couldn't be nothing. There had to be anything but nothing. Not after all he had fought for, all he had lost. It couldn't be for nothing.

Then Snape stepped forward. It was always Snape.

A few quiet words with Voldemort and a large stack of tokens to Percy later and Snape stood before Harry.

"Draco, get over here and carry the boy. He's not going anywhere on his own."

Draco approached and flicked a feather-weight spell at Harry before sighing and hefting him over his shoulders. He could have carried Harry more comfortably in a bridal style, but the small mercy would likely have shown weakness.

"I could levitate him." Draco muttered to Snape.

"I'm well aware, Draco, but that's not what I told you to do."

The floor in front of Harry started to move and for the first time since the war ended, he felt calm. Draco and Snape? That was easy. He could deal with that.

/

Spinner's End was a row of decrepit houses and Snape's home was small and tucked in at the end. They had apperated, rather than using floo since it was deemed too hard for Draco to carry Harry through the fireplace without hurting one of them.

Draco didn't need to be told what to do, and he moved Harry as carefully as he could up the narrow stairway that led to the spare room. There were a few muffled curses, but overall Draco had managed it. Right up until he was forced to heave Harry over his shoulder and onto the bed.

Both Harry and the bed groaned in protest.

"Try not to break him, you idiot." Snape snapped from down the hall.

Draco rolled his eyes but moved his wand over Harry's legs, alleviating some of the pain.

"Why?" Harry asked quietly.

Draco obviously heard him, but ignored him anyway, pulling a few blankets out of a closet and placing them at the end of the bed.

"Draco. Why even bother to help me?"

"The world isn't a fair place, Potter. But if things were the other way around, if you had won, I know you'd do the same." Draco glanced down the hallway to where Snape was. "For either of us."

Draco headed to the door, but paused just before it.

"Sometimes I wonder what our lives would have been like if you had accepted my offer of friendship on our first day at Hogwarts."

"You'd have been even more of a prat, being the boy-who-lived's friend."

Draco smiled, though Harry never saw it.

"Possibly." He said softly, then he left.

Harry heard Draco move down the hallway, and he could just make out the sound of muffled voices from further in the house. Draco and Snape talked for a time before Harry heard the front door open and close. Draco had probably left. It was getting rather late, or at least it felt like that.

Harry was tired. He'd been tired for a long time. Each year at Hogwarts got harder and harder and this last year hunting horcruxes had easily been the worst. He didn't like to dwell on it. It always made him angry, it made him want to blame people. Blame wouldn't get him anywhere. Neither would Draco's what-ifs.

Harry had almost drifted off to sleep when his attention was brought to the doorway of the room by a loud clearing of the throat. Snape stood there with a tray.

He slowly moved into the room and placed the tray on the bedside table. It held a sandwich and two potions in delicate glass vials.

"Eat and drink these. They'll help you sleep and heal your legs."

Harry looked at the sandwich with a frown.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"This is my house, Potter."

"But why you?"

"Who else would bring you to my house?"

"No! I mean, why you? Why did you have to be the one to choose me?"

Snape raised an eyebrow. "It was Draco's idea." He looked away. "I don't know why I went along with it."

"You don't know? Almost everyone I trusted beside Ron and Hermione has betrayed me, but you're the one who is looking after me?

"Perhaps you trusted the wrong people."

"No. I didn't."

He hadn't trusted the wrong people. He knew that. But there was a chance he had trusted them for the wrong reasons.

The calm Harry had felt earlier was gone. Apparently he didn't know either Snape or Draco as well has he had thought.


	4. Chapter 4

An: the next update is likely to be a week late as I'm having a minor operation in about two hours, so I won't be able to write nearly as much while I recover.

After the bath and changing into a pair of pajamas, both Hermione and Luna retired to their new bedroom. The lights, much like the bath, turned off only when Hermione reached her magic out to them.

She lay awake for a long time. Luna quickly dropped off to sleep, or she seemed to if the light snoring was any indication.

Hermione just couldn't though.

She was here, in the fey world, and the Queen of the Fey claimed she was one of them. It was confusing and altogether too fantastical for Hermione to believe. Yet….

It made a sort of sense. She had always been good at magic. Even the stuff way above her year level. Protean charms, and curses that other students her year didn't even know existed. She was the brightest witch of her age, after all.

Why her though? There were smarter witches and wizards in the world. Not that she'd gone to school with, but they existed. It wasn't like she had a particular skill, she just read a lot for books. And then applied theoretical knowledge practically and usually perfectly.

It still didn't make sense! There was nothing in her life that pointed to her being fey, just lots of maybes.

With a frustrated groan, Hermione covered her face with both hands. She forced herself to stop thinking about it. Unless she was to wake Luna up and demand answers, she wasn't going to be able to solve this mystery tonight.

She couldn't do that, it'd be rude, and Luna had been very helpful so far.

…

On the flip side, then she'd have answers.

No. Definitely rude.

Eventually, Hermione was able to fall asleep.

/

They all heard Bellatrix throughout the night. She screamed and raged and destroyed.

It was surprisingly that there weren't craters in the hallway walls the next morning. Andromeda could only assume that the house elves were used to this sort of behaviour and were quick about cleaning up.

At some point during Bellatrix's rage Teddy had woken up. Unhappy with the loud noises he started crying and nothing Tonks did seemed to settle him down. He was obviously frightened by the loud noises and the dark magic flooding the house.

Tonks' door slammed open, and there stood Bellatrix, wand clasped in one hand while the other was curled into a painful fist. Her jaw was tensed and her eyes wild. Tonks could sense the magic rising off of her, it was almost visible, distorting the air around Bellatrix.

Tonks pushed her way forward as quickly as she could, putting herself between Bellatrix and Teddy.

Bellatrix snarled and raised her wand. She flicked it in a circular motion and stormed out of the room.

Silence fell and Tonks slowly lowered herself to the floor by Teddy's crib.

Her heart was still racing a mile a minute from what she had been sure would be a life ending encounter for someone, when the door eased open again.

Tonks tensed up before quickly relaxing. It was just Andromeda.

Andromeda let out a sigh of relief. "Good. You're okay. What did she do?"

"She silenced the room. I guess Teddy's crying was interrupting …"

Tonks waved a hand towards the door as if to encompass all that was Bellatrix Black essentially throwing a tantrum.

Andromeda nodded and moved towards Teddy. He seemed to have calmed down, now that the screaming was muted. Andromeda peered into Teddy's crib.

"Oh."

Tonks' head shot up and she rushed to Andromeda's side.

Teddy clutched a small toy owl to his chest as he happily stared up at his mother and grandmother.

Andromeda picked the toy up and examined it carefully. Teddy started to fuss the moment it was out of his grasp.

"She gave him a toy?" Tonks asked in disbelief.

Andromeda frowned at the little owl.

"It's charmed. It is meant to calm him down."

Tonks grabbed the owl and tossed it across the room.

"I don't care."

She scooped Teddy up and started to rock him gently. It didn't take long to put him to sleep now that the room was quiet. Andromeda took that as her cue to leave and pressed a kiss to both Tonks' and Teddy's foreheads.

Tonks found the owl back in Teddy's crib the next morning. She don't know if she was more disturbed by the idea of Bellatrix creeping in while they slept, or Teddy's uncontrollable magic manifesting this young.

/

Breakfast was a tense affair. Andromeda was surprised that her and Nymphadora were allowed to eat at the table with Bellatrix.

They'd both been summoned by Noory telling them that Bellatrix was ready to eat and that they could 'come down to breakfast or starve'. Bellatrix's words, not Noory's.

Bellatrix had then preceded to not say a single word to either of them for most of the meal. They ate in silence, the exception being Tonks chatting to Teddy in an attempt to get him to eat. Neither of them minded really. Andromeda wanted to help, but truthfully Tonks had it covered. Instead she reached for the Daily Prophet laying in the middle of the table. Bellatrix didn't even react when Andromeda pulled it towards herself. It was a boring read, mostly propaganda written by Rita Skeeter, and Andromeda soon found herself watching her sister instead.

Bellatrix was busy reading through the mound of letters she received throughout the meal. It seemed she was a popular person this morning. Some letters were read quietly and put to the side while others were growled at and either shredded or added to another pile. Once she had gotten through the pile of unread letters, Bellatrix unceremoniously set the second pile of read letters on fire. It explained the scorch marks on the old table. Andromeda couldn't help but think that their mother would have been furious. Good.

Zanny, Bellatrix's second house elf popped in and out of the room, bringing food and clearing dishes.

Bellatrix was eating an insane amount of food, more than Andromeda and Tonks combined. The last time Andromeda had seen anyone eat that much was when Tonks had started aurora training and was spending the whole day dueling. Bellatrix must be keeping busy to consume that much food.

Bellatrix shuffled through the remaining pile of letters again and picked out one that she scrutinised carefully, her food now completely forgotten. The flutter of wings warned of a large owl carrying a package about a foot long.

Bellatrix's hand shot out and caught the bundle before it hit the table, never taking her eyes off of the letter in her hand.

The sound of the front door opening echoed within the house, and Bellatrix stood while stuffing the letters into the inner pocket of her robes.

Narcissa entered the room, a young man on her heels. The boy looked barely old enough to have left Hogwarts, and his eyes widened when he saw Bellatrix. Bellatrix grinned at him as she approached Narcissa, and he paled.

The sisters greeted each other.

"Bella." Narcissa said softly as Bellatrix placed her hand on Narcissa's shoulder.

"How is Draco?"

Narcissa rolled her eyes in a rare display of emotion.

"This new determination of his is pure idiocy. He's never shown this level of interest in potions before, and if he really wanted to learn I could teach him."

Bellatrix nodded slowly. "Perhaps, but he needs to find his own way in this new world of ours. At least Severus is good at what he does, and a skilled alchemist is always useful. I will continue to train him to duel though, as I did with you."

Bellatrix had taught both of them, Andromeda remembered. Bellatrix had always been unnaturally good at dueling. She was able to read body language exceptionally well, but that wasn't something she had been able to teach Andromeda or Narcissa. Instead she taught them how to use unusual spells and charms in a duel. An avis could give you enough cover to escape, or an engorgeo behind an enemy could trip them up. Andromeda had passed those tips along to Tonks. She had felt a strange mix of happiness and remorse when Tonks had told her that her resourcefulness in dueling had helped her to pass her aurora entrance exam. She had never told Tonks where she learnt those dueling tricks.

Narcissa narrowed her eyes at Bellatrix. "I didn't say anything about Severus being the one to train Draco."

"There's not that many potions masters around, Cissy."

"There's enough. Slughorn, for example."

"He's missing, on the run or something." Bellatrix said airily. "If he's smart he'll be in Peru or something."

"That's beside the point. What did you do, Bellatrix?" Hissed Narcissa.

Bellatrix waved a hand in the air dismissively. "I simply told him that he'd have a better chance of succeeding if he were to work with Serverus. You can't fix all of his problems anymore, Cissy."

"He's my son!"

"Unfortunately he's Lucius' as well, and it shows. He needs to learn how to be a Black, not a Malfoy."

Bellatrix tucked the parcel she held under her arm and put a hand on either side of Narcissa's face.

"I love our Little Dragon, Cissy. I couldn't let him fail, Blacks do not fail. Potter was always going to Severus, no matter how many tokens Draco had. Severus had no idea and Draco was able to twist that to his advantage. He did well."

Narcissa sighed as Bellatrix drew back. Just because Bellatrix was right, didn't mean she had to be happy about it. Bellatrix was often right, especially if it came to the Dark Lord. She was his best lieutenant and she was one of the few voices he listened to. They had spent many late nights in Malfoy Manor planning together. It was good for Bellatrix too. Narcissa had noticed how lucid she was after those talks, and after awhile it spread into Bellatrix's daily life.

Her sister had been a mess after Azkaban. Weak physically, and weaker still mentally.

The Dark Lord gave Bellatrix direction. He had funnelled her anger and it worked in a way that Narcissa wasn't sure she wanted to believe. It was strange to see a man so focused on destruction turn around and heal someone. Though if there was anyone he was fond of, it was Bellatrix. It had worked. With purpose, with a direction, Bellatrix had come back to herself. By the end of the war she was lucid most of the time, nothing like the distracted gaze and muttering Narcissa had seen when she was fresh out of Azkaban.

Bellatrix took the parcel from under her arm and handed it to Narcissa.

"These need to go in the safe, and don't forget to have Edward fitted as well. Thank you for doing this, Cissy. Now, I'm needed at the Ministry."

She turned to Andromeda and Tonks. "Behave."

With that, Bellatrix took a step forward and apperated away.

Narcissa clutched the parcel tightly in her hand and took a deep breath. No one could get under her skin quite like Bellatrix. She meant well. At least, most of the time. That didn't stop her from being downright rude and brash though.

"Francois."

The boy behind her jumped, but quickly composed himself.

"Yes, Madame Malfoy?"

"You'll find that my sister is not as careful as she should be about what she says in front of strangers. She trusts that they will fear her enough to not say anything. I suggest, for your own sake, that you forget everything you just heard."

"Of course, Madame."

"Good. Now wait here while I put these away." Narcissa said, lifting parcel slightly.

It didn't take long for Narcissa to come back and once she was she corralled everyone into a spare bedroom. Narcissa transfigured a bedside table into a crib and gestured for Tonks to lay Teddy down.

"Francois is here to have you fitted. We'll have new robes made for the two of you. I don't know why, just be glad you'll have something to wear."

Andromeda stood through the fitting with practised grace, while Tonks struggled not to fidget. It was while Tonks was struggling with Francois being very close to her chest that Teddy started to fuss. His fussing had just turned into full cries when Narcissa swept him up and rocked him gently. Andromeda had been half way across the room and stopped with a shocked look on her face. Narcissa raised an eyebrow at her. She had raised a son. Tonks managed to smile gratefully, if a bit nervously.

"Don't forget to get her inseam, Francois. You never know when you'll need trousers."

The whole fitting took less than an hour, but both Andromeda and Tonks were left to stand quietly for a bit longer while Narcissa and Francois quietly chattered over a floating scroll. The only one privy to their conversation was Teddy, and he was more concerned with the lock of Narcissa's hair that he was determined to grasp.

To her credit, she looked no less dignified when he manages to actually grab it and bring it to his mouth.

/

Hermione woke up suddenly and sat up in surprise. Luna was on her bed next to her, staring right at her.

"You're awake."

Well now she was!

"Lady Elphame would like to have breakfast with us." Luna continued as if she hadn't just been the one to wake Hermione up.

"Is that was she has decided to go by, then?"

Luna shrugged. "It seems to be."

Hermione stared longingly at the bathroom. After the year she'd had in the run, she had rather hoped to have another bath this morning. Flicking her eyes back to Luna, she noticed the other girl was dressed in a light yellow sundress.

"Where did you get the dress from?"

Luna pointed at the dresser. "It's kind of like the bath."

Hermione resigned herself to skipping another bath and got up, heading toward the dresser. She paused in front of it, her hand on the handle. She could feel the magic in the drawer, it seemed like a bottomless pit. Never ending and all consuming. Hermione concentrated on what she wanted. Jeans, underwear, comfortable shoes and a nice warm sweater. Slowly, she opened the draw, half expecting there to be nothing in it, but there, neatly folded was her chosen clothes.

Ignoring Luna in the room, she left for the bathroom to get quickly changed. As soon as Hermione had come back out of the bathroom, wielding a hairbrush she'd found next to the sink, the door to their room creaked open.

Luna and Hermione both turned towards it. Beyond the door was a hallway, rather than the circular room from the night before. By now Hermione was used to moving walkways. Hogwarts had more than its fair share and usually they had a good reason to move.

"I think we're meant to go down there." Luna said quietly.

Hermione just sighed, she was becoming used to the strangeness of her situation shockingly fast.

"Can we wait until after I've brushed my hair, at least?"

"Of course, Hermione."

Luna waited patiently on her bed while Hermione detangled her hair as best she could. The second she was done, Luna jumped up and grabbed Hermione's hand, dragging her down the hallway.

It had become second nature in their friendship for Hermione to let Luna lead her places. Luna had always been a bit touchy with her. The first time they had properly sat down together to talk, Luna had taken her hand and drawn small swirls on it with her fingers. Luna had been so focused on the exact patterns that at one point Hermione had been convinced they were actually there.

So Luna grabbing her hand and tugging her along? It was just par for course now days, and Hermione felt it might become even more so now.

The hallway was long, and unlike last time there didn't seem to be many doors lining it. Instead it was clearly leading them to one place, and one place only. A dark wooden door appeared at the end of the hallway and Luna didn't hesitate to push it open.

It opened into a library. Bookcases towered high above them, almost comically out of reach. There were large tables in the middle of the room, and several plush looking arm chairs scattered throughout various nooks and crannies.

Hermione stared in astonishment. It was even bigger than Hogwarts' library. The room was huge, almost too big to even see the furthest wall. She broke away from Luna and approached a shelf.

One hand ran gently across the spine of a few books. They were written in a language she couldn't understand, it didn't even seem human. Most of the books were heavy and bound in dark leather, but there were a few more modern books higher up the stacks that seemed to be bound in the most recent Muggle way. Before her gaze, the lettering on the spines of the books started to shift and realign until Hermione could read them. The titles spoke of history, myths and magic. Of charms, and rituals, and both dark and light spells. It was immense the amount of topics that seemed to be on display.

"Hermione, we're going to be late."

Hermione jumped at Luna's voice. She glanced guiltily at her.

"Sorry."

Luna smiled at her. "We'll have plenty of time to come back later, right now though, I'm hungry."

Luna took Hermione's hand again and started to lead her deeper into the library. Hermione hadn't seen it at first, but there was a door tucked in between two bookcases. It was glass and clearly led to a garden. As they entered the garden, Hermione knew this was a real place, until the one they had first arrived in.

In the centre of the garden was a large clearing, surrounded on one side by woods and the other by a field of variously coloured flowers. The flowers were in full bloom and there seemed to be small … somethings fluttering between the woods to their left and the rest of the garden. Hermione didn't want to make assumptions, but she was pretty sure they weren't bees or butterflies.

The clearing housed a long stone table. Elphame sat at the far end of the table, and before her lay a feast of food. Luna happily let go of Hermione's hand and sat next to the fey queen. She started piling food on her plate straight away, and Elphame watched her with a soft smile. Hermione stood awkwardly behind Luna.

"Please, Hermione." Elphame said softly, "Sit and eat with us. We have much to discuss today and we really should start with a filling breakfast."

Hermione sat while Elphame asked how they slept and Luna chatted back amicably. Hermione slowly placed several items on her plate. Elphame seemed to have picked exclusively fruit, while Luna had already selected a collection of bread and pastries. It took Hermione a second to notice, but there was no meat on the entire table. She wondered if fey were vegetarians. It was only when Hermione picked up a pomegranate to inspect that she remembered the Greeks myths about food in the underworld. Weren't their similar stories about the fey? About how eating fairy food trapped you in their world. Hermione glanced up. Luna was already happily munching away, and Elphame was watching Hermione carefully.

"Are you not hungry, young one?"

Hermione's stomach grumbled. She couldn't very well deny it now. Despite everything being so strange, Elphame had never acted viciously towards them. But how much of it was an act? There was only one way to find out.

"Is it safe? The food, I mean. Is it safe for me to eat?"

Elphame stared at her silently for a few seconds before her eyes widened with realisation. She let out a light laugh.

"Of course. The myths of fey food are real, though somewhat exaggerated. True fey food such as ambrosia can trap a mortal here, but this is not that sort of food. Nor would you be trapped by it. You are one of us, Hermione."

Hermione frowned. "I don't understand how. Luna told me her mother was fey of some sort, but both my parents were muggles. They're dentists!"

Elphame looked at Luna briefly, and Hermione only just noticed the slight nod Luna gave her in response.

"Luna's mother, Pandora, was a gift. Quite literally. Her parents had tried for years to have children, but it never happened.' Elphame explained. "They came to me, and asked me to help. I couldn't give them a child of their own flesh and blood, but I could give them one of mine. Pandora had lost her parents very soon after her birth. Not all fey are meant to parent, and usually they leave their offspring with me. I have no idea who bore her, I just found Pandora one day. I think she was a mixed fey, she never expressed her magic strongly one way or the other, but she was rather talented in general. I believe the humans would have called her a changeling, though her parents treated her as if she was truly theirs. It is why I gifted them with her in the first place."

Elphame smiled sadly down at Luna.

"I miss her terribly. I remember her joining me for the holidays between her studies at Hogwarts. I taught her much about the fey, once she was old enough to learn."

Luna nodded, tears in her eyes.

"I miss her too. I'm sure she'd be happy that we've met though. She did speak fondly of you."

Hermione reached out and took Luna's hand, squeezing gently. She got a small smile for her trouble, and that made up her mind. If Luna and her mother could trust Elphame, then Hermione could too. She let go of Luna's hand and picked up a grape. She popped it into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully.

"Is that what I am? A changeling?"

"Ah. No." Elphame said quietly.

She took Hermione's hand and traced swirls over it with her fingers. The same swirls that Luna always drew. She looked up and met Hermione's gaze.

"You are a bit more complex than our sweet Luna. Your family has a long history of fey involvement that goes back centuries. It just all culminated with you."


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione fought the urge to sigh. Of course her heritage was complicated, everything in her life since she had met McGonagall had been complicated. What she wouldn't have given for a year of schooling where something awful didn't happen. No being petrified, no Dark Lord trying to to life, no savings escaped convicts. Just a normal year where she studied and did some exams.

Hermione looked up at Elphame curiously, and it was enough to prompt the other woman into explaining.

"One of your forefathers, Abel Granger was a fisherman. He came across one of my people, a selkie that he called Ira. It wasn't her name, of course, but after he took her skin she refused to give him her real name. They lived together for many years."

"Wait." Hermione interrupted. "Her skin?"

"Yes. Selkies are shape shifters. They essentially look like a human woman, but when they don their seal skin they transform. Unfortunately, many men have found their humanoid form to be so attractive that they steal away a selkie's seal skin to control them. Without their seal skin they can never shift back. It is like having your magic taken away."

"That's horrible." Hermione said softly.

Elphame nodded. "Yes. It became quite the obsession for some humans. Eventually I had to call every selkie back to our world until the legends died back down. Ira was one of the last to be captured. She bore Abel three children, and while she hated Abel, she did love them. After Abel's death, Ira's youngest figured out what she was, and she was able to give Ira her seal skin back. She returned to us, but she could not bring any of her children. Selkie's are unique in that they do not pass on any of their particular powers, but they do pass on magic. While her children could have been witches and wizards they couldn't have been fey."

Hermione could feel herself tearing up. "I'm so sorry. I feel… ashamed to be related to that man."

"Don't fret over it, young one. You are as much Abel as you are Ira. As much as she hated him to begin with, to Ira, Abel became nothing more than the pain she endured in order to have the most precious gift, her children. What Abel didn't realise when he trapped Ira with him was that he also cursed all his descendants to attract fey to them. While they were not selkies themselves, to other fey they would … glow."

"Glow?"

This time it was Luna who answered.

"You've always glowed."

She drew a swirl on the back of Hermione's hand.

"I've always noticed it. It's so pretty, and so very different to anything I've ever seen before."

"Why can't I see it?"

Luna shrugged. "You'll never see your own, or at least I know I can't see mine. I can only see yours because my mother showed me how to. I'm sure we can teach you too. Then maybe you can tell me what my glow looks like."

Elphame looked fondly down at Luna. She cupped the girl's cheek in her hand and ran a thumb over her cheekbone and under her eye.

"Your glow is very pretty too, Luna. Delicate, and similar to your mother's."

Elphame turned her attention to Hermione.

"Luna is right of course, we will teach you how to see other fey's glow. It is very useful for those of us who like to change form often. But glow isn't something only fey have, humans can have it too, and your ancestors did. It attracted fey to them, some good, some bad. Some were just friends, some were passing acquaintances, but some became part of your heritage. The most recent of which was your grandmother."

Hermione frowned. "Grandmother Julie, I assume. She married Grandpa Robert after Grandma Rachel died. I guess Julie was a fake name. I can't imagine a fey called Julie. He always called her his muse."

"She was. She is a Leannán Sídhe, a muse, a lover. They give themselves completely to a human, but only that human."

Hermione nodded slowly. "From what dad used to tell me she just … disappeared after Grandpa Robert died. That's why my dad was raised by his sisters. They always loved him, despite being half-siblings, but I don't think I've never heard my aunts say anything good about Grandmother Julie."

"As I said, some fey are not meant to parent. Muses are one of them. They are fickle, and prone to distraction."

"So all of that, is why I am fey?"

"There is more. Your mother passed onto you a glow as well. Her mother was unable to have children, until one day she wandered into a forest and came back pregnant. Not all modern day muggles have forgotten the myths of our kind. She sought out a Ghillie Dhu and hoped he would help her. Obviously he did."

Hermione scowled. "Are you trying to tell me that my Granny Hannah shagging some fey in a forest is the only reason I am a witch?"

Elphame paused, obviously confused by Hermione's tone.

"That makes no sense!" Hermione all but shouted. "If both of my parents were half fey then why did neither of them go to Hogwarts? How come neither of them are here? Shouldn't they have magic?"

Elphame's eyes widened at Hermione's outburst. Luna struggled to contain her giggle.

"Luck mostly." Elphame answered. "Leannán Sídhe can only be female, and Ghillie Dhu can only be male. That's why neither of your parents showed signs of magic. I'm sure they have it, but it will be dormant, just waiting to be passed on. I became aware of you the day you were born, the same as any of my fey. You are as much fey as Luna is, just a bit more varied."

"I... don't know what to say." Hermione said slowly. "I think I need some time. To fully comprehend it all."

Elphame nodded and stood slowly. "Of course. Take all the time you need. I will leave you with Luna. The hallways will not change anymore, but you are free to call me if you need anything."

With a soft smile, Elphame was gone.

"Well that was interesting." Luna said airily.

Hermione couldn't believe it was only mid morning.

/

The next week was spent in the library. Or, it was for Hermione at least. Sometimes Luna joined her, and sometimes she noticed Elphame waiting far enough away to not be intruding, but close enough to obviously keep an eye on Hermione and Luna. Elphame looked at her with such longing and it creeped Hermione out more than she was willing to admit. Luna insisted it was harmless, just Elphame wanting to get to know her, but Hermione wasn't completely convinced.

True to her words though, Elphame did give her time, and never approached her. In fact, Hermione only ever seemed to see her when she was escorting Luna to the library or back to their shared room.

Then one day Luna came back from spending time with Elphame holding a rather large, struggling, ginger bundle.

Hermione was in front of Luna in no time at all and pulled Crookshanks into a tight hug. She was met by a stifled meow, but he was no longer struggling.

She couldn't help the tears that soaked into Crookshanks' fur, and as if all her energy had left her, Hermione collapsed to her knees. Somehow she managed to pull Crookshanks even tighter to her. He eventually let his displeasure at being squeezed be known by lightly pressing his claws into Hermione's arm.

She let him go, and Crookshanks started to explore the room. Hermione sat back and watched him happily. Once he was finally done exploring, Crookshanks jumped up onto Hermione's bed and curled into a ball. She got up and joined him.

"Where did he come from?"

"Elphame."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but replied not unkindly.

"I had figured out that much, Luna. But how did she find him?"

Luna just shrugged.

Elphame was obviously trying to get on Hermione's good side, and damn it, it was working. With a resigned sigh Hermione knew she'd have to end this enforced distance between herself and Elphame. The woman obviously held affection for her, and as unlikely as it seemed that Hermione's magic was the result of centuries of genetic accidents, it was also entirely too believable. Especially since all the books Hermione had been reading seemed to indicate that fey magic was wild and mostly had a mind of its own. While two fey would always have a magical child, it wasn't unheard of for some of the muggle children taken in exchange of changelings to spontaneously develop some magical ability.

Not tonight though, she'd enjoy the reunion with Crookshanks and tomorrow she'd join Luna for breakfast with Elphame.

Maybe she could finally learn what it meant to be fey.

/

When Bellatrix arrived home it was to find both of her sisters and her niece in the library. Narcissa was sitting at one of the desks, answering letters and generally running both a household and several Malfoy businesses. Ever since Lucius had become … indisposed after almost killing the Potter brat, Narcissa had taken over most, if not all of Lucius' duties outside of his ministry work. It was a punishment passed down Dark Lord. Not only had everything Lucius had ever worked for been taken away and given to his wife, but Narcissa was making sure that she did a damn good job of it. Most of the businesses were flourishing. It probably helped that she had taken the reigns before, when Lucius first went to Azkaban.

Bellatrix was sure that Lucius felt shameful, and useless, but it was what he deserved after almost breaking one of the few rules the Dark Lord imposed on his followers.

Lucius would likely never understand the severity of his actions in attacking Potter, not really. But Bellatrix did. She had been there when the fey queen appeared to deliver the Dark Lord the prophecy about him and Potter. Over the years, the Dark Lord had managed to patch it together, but the Queen proved that he hadn't done it quite as well has he had assumed.

One word. There was one word different between the Dark Lord's version and the real one, but it made all the difference. They had infiltrated the department of mysteries in an attempt to double check, but that had failed. Still, the words of a fey queen were worth trusting.

It hadn't been 'neither can live while the other survives'. No, it had been 'neither can live while the other dies'.

Suddenly, the attempts on Potter's life stopped, and the Dark Lord had all but ignored the boy, focusing instead on building his power base.

Most death eaters did not know about the correct prophecy, but it had fundamentally changed the war.

And then Lucius had almost ruined it. He still wondered why he was under house arrest. Sometimes Bellatrix wondered if Narcissa's willingness to look after her new slaves was just an excuse to do some work away from Lucius.

It had likely been a boring day for Andromeda and Tonks while Narcissa answered letters. In fact, Tonks was asleep on a couch with Teddy resting on her chest and Andromeda was flicking through a book that she clearly wasn't reading.

Andromeda tensed up when Bellatrix walked into the room.

"How many of them did you kill?" Narcissa asked quietly. She probably didn't care for Tonks' sleep, but wouldn't want to wake Teddy.

Bellatrix just sighed, and crossed the room to Narcissa. She pressed a kiss to the top of Narcissa's head in silent thanks for looking after her recent acquisitions.

"None, but I think a few will quit before the end of the week."

Bellatrix trained the future death eaters. While not all death eaters were combatants, the most recent hopefuls were intended to fill in the shortage of employees in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The smart ones would become auroras, and if they were lucky receive the dark mark as a member of the Dark Lord's secondary circle. The dumb ones would either become canon fodder for the hit wizard squads, or regular beat cops that would essentially only be good for filling in uniforms.

Bellatrix glanced down at the letter Narcissa was writing. Her nose wrinkled in distaste.

"Are people already rushing to sell their daughters to you for Draco?"

"Of course. The war is barely over, rebuilding is only just getting started; now is the perfect time for a wedding." Narcissa said sarcastically before letting out a light groan. "Lucius is a disgrace, but both Draco and I are war heroes. We housed the Dark Lord, and you're my sister so we must have some familiarity with our Lord, and everyone is looking to exploit it. I've even had several families offer their first born sons, just in case. The worst part is that telling anyone I intend Draco to marry whoever he chooses just gets me more owls. Offers of dates, and courting, as if they think them any different than an arranged marriage."

"Too bad that Parkinson girl decided to fall in love with a Weasley. I like her, she's feisty."

"I've already sent the owl to her, requesting we break the engagement between her and Draco. No need to drag that farce out any longer. As distasteful as it is to say, at least I don't need to worry about her parents. Violet was always a difficult woman to get along with."

Bellatrix snorted. "Aren't they all difficult?"

Narcissa didn't answer, but the small smile that curled on her lips said enough. Instead she piled the last of her letters together and tucked them into her robes.

"Walk me out, Bella. I have more work to do tonight, and dinner always goes rather poorly if I leave Lucius and Draco to it."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, but held an arm out to escort Narcissa.

"They're both babies. Let them have a go at each other. Draco will eventually win and you'll have one less problem."

Narcissa let out a displeased hum at Bellatrix's suggestion and pulled her sister from the room. They walked the rest of the way silently. Narcissa stopped as they reached the door to leave Black Manor.

"Your office had a fresh coat of paint when I went to put their wands in the safe." Narcissa said quietly.

Bellatrix hummed to herself in thought. "They don't have any idea that's what the package was, do they?"

"No. The paper it was wrapped in was magic dampening. They couldn't of sensed anything. But that's beside the point, and not what we were talking about. Don't tell me you ripped your office apart because you didn't get the girl. I told you not to bother with her again."

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow. "Fine then, I won't."

"Bella! Draco told me what happened. You're lucky you didn't get her, not now that we know what she is. Can you imagine having had…" Narcissa's lips curled into an unpleasant grimace. "fun with the girl and then having the Queen come to claim her? Don't you remember what she did to Yaxley after he bragged about killing that fairy?"

"Of course I remember. I put him out of his damn misery. That doesn't mean I'm not allowed to destroy a few desks and walls if I want to."

"Then forget the girl. But if you ever meet her again, please Bella, at least treat her with caution, if not respect. She is not someone you can make an enemy of. Not anymore."

Bellatrix nodded, and without anything else to say, Narcissa saw herself out of the house.

Narcissa was right, of course. The girl had power by association, and perhaps would wielded it herself one day. The idea was infuriating, but it wasn't worth worrying about now. She'd see what the girl made of herself, then Bellatrix would decide if she should worry.

She had tortured the girl after all. She'd be lucky to go the way of Yaxley. Bellatrix wondered briefly if the Dark Lord could protect her from the fey queen. She wondered if he would bother to.

No, that was not a good thought to have. She couldn't start thinking like that.


	6. Chapter 6

It was starting to infuriate Andromeda how little Bellatrix said to either of them. After Narcissa left, Zanny came to tell them dinner was prepared, but Bellatrix wasn't there to eat with them. Not that Andromeda minded, of course. That'd be stupid, who wanted to dine with a death eater?

Andromeda couldn't help but think her mixed emotions were all a part of Bellatrix's plan. She'd always been good at getting under Andromeda's skin. This - getting fitted for robes and being babysat by Narcissa - wasn't what she had expected from Bellatrix. Especially after the rather violent behaviour aimed towards them the previous day.

"Mistress Black gives Zanny a message for you." The house elf said after presenting them with their food. "Mistress Black says to do what you want but that there are wards up to stop running, but that Mistress thinks it would be funny if you tried. Also, Zanny is to watch you, and is allowed to use force to stop you. Please don't make Zanny use magic like that." She said with a soft whimper.

"Don't worry, Zanny." Tonks said kindly. "After dinner I'm intending to go to bed. Thank you for dinner."

Zanny eyed Andromeda wearily as if she was the troublemaker, rather than her very-well-known-to-be-a-troublemaker-daughter, before quickly nodding and popping away. Then again, Nymphadora did come by her troublemaking tendencies honestly.

Andromeda picked at her food. She should be hungry. Aside from Teddy, Narcissa hadn't fed them during the day. Andromeda couldn't tell if it was a purposeful slight, or if Narcissa still just had terrible eating habits and a tendency to work through meals. Her and Bellatrix had constantly bugged Narcissa to go to meals while they were at Hogwarts. Narcissa had always gotten too caught up in her studies. Still, one meal wasn't the biggest loss.

"Whatever wards she's put up will likely be painful and she's probably the only one who can undo whatever curse it is." Andromeda cautioned.

Tonks just raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't run away, got it. I wasn't lying about wanting to sleep though."

After dinner they went their separate ways. Anything that needed to be said was said over dinner, and Andromeda could tell that Tonks was shattered. She couldn't imagine raising a child during a war. She didn't know how her own parents had done it with three of them. Then again, she supposed they hadn't. The elves had done most of the work while her parents subtly tried to kiss Grindelwald's arse.

Andromeda would never know if Tonks got her much needed sleep, she was more concerned that she didn't get hers. It was fine until about three in the morning. Andromeda woke with a start.

She'd heard something. It took a few minutes, but the sound came again. A loud scream. It was Bellatrix again, though for very different reasons.

Andromeda had lived through two different wars. She knew the difference between screams of rage and screams of terror. Right now, Bellatrix was not raging.

It went on far longer than Andromeda had expected, and she felt a sense of justice that Bellatrix obviously had nightmares. She deserved them.

That didn't stop Andromeda from creeping out of her room and down the long hallway to Bellatrix's room.

They'd done this as children. On the nights when their father had been too harsh on them. Like when Bellatrix's engagement to Rodolphus was announced. At three thirty in the morning. It was always at three thirty. That was when the world seemed different. The house was quiet enough to fool them into thinking things could be different, that they wouldn't have to live the life that had been given to them.

They never fought at three thirty. Bellatrix had known something was going to happen the day before Andromeda fled with Teddy Tonks. She had just known, and she had made her annoyance at the whole thing rather clear to Andromeda throughout the day. At three thirty that morning Andromeda explained it all to Bellatrix, and then, with a hug and tears that neither of them would admit to, Andromeda was gone.

The screaming had stopped by the time Andromeda reached Bellatrix's bedroom door. She stopped outside it, hoping that it was all over and she could just go back to bed and forget about the twisting in her gut that was a mixture of anger, guilt and sympathy.

There was no more screaming. Instead Andromeda could hear whimpers. She let out a sigh. That was worse. Gently she put her hand on the door knob and took a steadying breath. Andromeda opened the door. How could she not? It was three thirty after all.

The room was dark, but Andromeda could make out the bed and Bellatrix's ever moving figure. She was sleeping, if uneasily.

Slowly, Andromeda crept across the room. She stared down at Bellatrix for a long moment. Her eyes glanced around the room, taking in the iron poker resting by the fireplace. It would be easy...

Bellatrix was her capturer, her enslaver, and right now she had no idea that Andromeda was even in her room. Andromeda wasn't naive enough to think that she'd magically be better off free or with someone else. Not while she still had a damn magic suppressing collar on. Despite all her harsh words, so far Bellatrix had done absolutely nothing to them. In fact she had bought them new robes, and was taking Teddy in as her ward. Bellatrix had a temper, that was for sure, but she was also wildly possessive and that had its own protection to it. At least from other death eaters and the like. Rodolphus had found that out the hard way.

It was no use. She had the chance, but what would she get from it? A dead sister, and a short, painful life if she even managed to get out of Black Manor. Andromeda wasn't sure which was worse.

She reached a hand out, intent of waking Bellatrix from her nightmare.

Before she could touch Bellatrix's shoulder to shake her awake, a hand shot out, grabbing her wrist.

The growl that came from Bellatrix was positively feral, and her grip closed so tightly over Andromeda's wrist that Andromeda worried it was going to break.

"Bella!" Andromeda managed in a pained whisper.

Bellatrix's grip loosened a bit, but she didn't let go.

"What are you doing in here?" Bellatrix growled out.

"You … you were having a nightmare."

"So you broke into my room?"

"I…" Andromeda floundered for a few seconds. "You're still my sister, Bellatrix!"

Andromeda's arm was thrown back at her, and she clutched her wrist close to her chest. Her wrist flared with pain, and she could tell it would bruise.

"Am I?"

"I … I thought so. Do you remember what you told me? The night that I left?"

Bellatrix scowled. "I told you that I hated you."

"You told me that you hated what I was doing, but that I was still your sister."

"I don't know why you'd want to be my sister anyway." Bellatrix said softly.

Andromeda couldn't see Bellatrix's face, it was hidden behind a thick layer of black curls, but she could hear the empty quality to her voice.

"It's not about 'want'. You are my sister, Bella, and nothing can change that." Andromeda said firmly.

Bellatrix cackled. "Your life has been nothing but want. You never had to worry about duty, you found something you liked and you got it. It wasn't you who was punished when we went out and stayed after curfew because you found some boy you wanted to snog. You always got what you wanted, and look how that turned out."

Bellatrix turned her head to stare up at Andromeda. Her lips curled into a cruel snarl.

"You had to go and marry that idiot, and now look at you. A slave. Your magic is gone, and you have to rely on me for every inch of freedom."

"Idiot? Is that the only word you could come up with?"

"Well, what would you have preferred?" Snapped Bellatrix. "Moron? Sophomoric? Or were you wanting me to call him a mudblood?"

Andromeda flinched at the word, but Bellatrix ignored it.

"I couldn't care less about his blood. He was a useless waste of space, that did nothing but weigh you down and make you leave us. I hated his blood status at one point, but Lucius is just as much of a useless prick, so really, what more evidence do you need that blood means sod all?"

Andromeda gritted her teeth. Bellatrix had always been a firm believer in blood status. At least, she had been thirty odd years ago. She had always dutifully repeated their father's words of anger and hate.

"Too bad father didn't share your views."

"Father was also a moron. I don't think he ever realised that mother probably wasn't even human."

Andromeda's eyes widened. "What?"

Bellatrix ignored her outburst. "Do you remember the story that mother used to tell us, about the Lady Magic?"

"Not really? But, what you said about mother…"

"It boils down to the idea that Lady Magic gifted twenty eight families with magic, and charged them to teach the rest of the witches and wizards that would start to manifest. That's how the sacred twenty eight started. She bought magic to our world, but we were all muggles at one point. Pure-bloods? They're no different to mudbloods, we all got our magic from the Lady, just at different times. Bah, it's just a load of rubbish. Propaganda and nothing more."

Andromeda was speechless. This Bellatrix was nothing like the woman she had left when she fled with Tonks all those years ago. She still spoke with anger, but Andromeda could tell it wasn't the same fury that had Bellatrix disowning her all those years ago. The Bellatrix of old ranted, and raved, and cast curses rather than talk. This Bellatrix seemed to do nothing but talk.

"Get out, Andromeda."

"You really believe that old myth? Why?"

"I've met her. Now get out."

Bellatrix was looking away again, down at the blanket over her bed.

Andromeda nodded and started to back away. She wouldn't get anymore out of Bellatrix tonight. That she had gotten as much as she did was a damn miracle. Then again, it was three thirty.

Andromeda saw Bellatrix grab her wand from her bedside table, and Andromeda tensed up, half expecting to be hit with a hex. Instead she heard a quiet silencing charm, and then she heard nothing at all.

Despite the silence, Andromeda still struggled to get to sleep.

/

Elphame didn't say anything the next morning when Hermione joined her and Luna for breakfast, but she did let out a small, happy squeal.

Elphame, despite being what Hermione assumed was several thousands of years old, always came across as a little childish. Either because she, frankly put, just didn't understand humans, or because she didn't hide how happy small actions made her. Hermione knew there had to be a darker side to the woman, but she had yet to see it in the week she had been there. One did not gain the Dark Lord's respect by being childish, though.

Elphame took them to the library after breakfast, and presented them with several books to flick through. While Hermione would of happily spent the rest of the day reading, she knew Luna, and likely Elphame wouldn't be too keen on it. Instead, Hermione flicked through the books quickly, taking in their contents page and a few introductory paragraphs.

Hermione hadn't even seen these books over the past week. While she had struggled with trying to find any sort of method to the fey library madness, all Elphame had to do was look around and the right books floated towards her.

Hermione would not admit that she was a bit jealous.

One of the books was about the fey world they now resided in, while another was a brief history of the fey. The third book was about the various types of fey creatures, and while Hermione was of course interested, she didn't fight when Luna eagerly grabbed at the book. She hadn't been nearly as interested in the other two books. Hermione sometimes forgot that Luna was a Ravenclaw. The girl sought out knowledge as eagerly as she did, just a different sort of knowledge.

The last book was one about magic. Thick and heavy, Hermione didn't think even she would be able to read it in one day. It housed all sorts of spells that Hermione had never even seen before. Rituals, ley line magic, elemental magic and even a fair amount of blood magic.

Hermione thumped the books shut.

"This book is huge."

Elphame nodded happily. "I should hope so. It has every single bit of magic ever performed in it."

"That's … impressive." Hermione said with awe.

"Yes. Sadly, it is but a shadow of what it once was. It used to grow everyday. New spells and magics were created by human, fey and creature alike. Now there is a new spell once a year, if that. Humans take so long to think of anything new, and the fey were always best when working with humans. We are not the most imaginative race, and now that we no longer freely mix our worlds, most fey are happy to just live their lives in leisure. They don't remember a time when we made both worlds a better place." Elphame sighed. "The goblins don't remember most of their spells, their history wiped out after too many wars, and the centaurs focus too much on what they already know, never trying anything new. House elves periodically have bouts of magical resurgence. Usually during a war, and usually it's about getting blood out of robes, but they're so very clever about it all. So many ways to do one thing."

"It's still amazing. Can I study it?"

Elphame smiled softly at Hermione. "Of course, dear. It must remain in the library. It's intrinsically connected to the other books in here and will fall apart if removed, but you will always be welcome here."

"Surely you have witches and wizards who come here seeking this sort of knowledge?"

"Ah. Yes. In the past perhaps. Pandora often came back to use the library, but no one has come seeking knowledge from us in a long time. It's been over two hundred years since the last human visited."

"Who was it?" Luna asked distractedly.

"Tom Riddle. He was very polite as a young man. It is a shame how arrogant he became."

"Tom Riddle?" Hermione spat, feeling somethinf between betrayed and shocked.

Luna however had focused in on a different problem with Elphame's words.

"Two hundred years? How is that possible?"

"I…" Elphame looked between the two of them before deciding to answer Luna first.

"This world moves faster than the human one. A week here is almost a full day in the human world. Your mother used to use that to her advantage. She'd be allowed to study with me for a week by her parents, but of course she'd get seven weeks of learning done. Two hundred years here is, oh, approximately thirty years for humans."

Both girls accepted the information with a nod, neither quite knowing what to do with it. Hermione moved on quickly.

"You knew Voldemort when he was Tom Riddle?"

Elphame nodded. She couldn't tell from Hermione's tone if she was furious, or curious. The truth was, neither could Hermione.

She wanted to trust Elphame. The fey queen never seemed to lie to her or shy away from answering her questions, and she had saved her from a much worse fate. How much of that fate was Elphame's fault though? Voldemort knew her, and it had been implied that she had given her help to Voldemort's side of the war. Had her help turned the tides of war that much, and was that something that could be forgiven?

Then again, Elphame didn't seem to understand most humans, and even though they had only really talked a few times, it was clear that some of the things Hermione and Luna said were beyond her. Did she even know that she had helped the 'bad guys'?

"What did he want?" Hermione asked, her voice tight.

Elphame shrugged. "What most witches and wizards come to me for. Knowledge. I protect this library as it is the culmination of all magical knowledge, but I do not guard it. It's guards itself. Anyone who can enter is welcome here, but so few try now."

"What knowledge did he seek?"

"He wished to know about horcruxes. I told him the knowledge was in this library, but that it was up to him to find it."

Hermione was floored. "You helped him make horcruxes?"

"No. He was never one of my students. I only ever teach our ways, and our magics to our kind. No matter how charming they try to be." Elphame stretched a hand out a dragged her fingers along the book. "This book never revealed itself to him. He left quite disappointed, forced to look elsewhere."

Elphame stared at Hermione for a long g second. When she spoke her voice was clearly concerned.

"Do you … want me to teach you how to make a horcrux?" She asked tentatively.

"What? No! Definitely not." Hermione said loudly.

Elphame sighed happily. "Oh good. They're such nasty business. Besides, there are easier ways to gain immortality."

Luna seemed to lose interest in their conversation, and started to flick through the book on fey creatures. Hermione was just going to have to bench that conversation on immortality.

"How did he recruit you to his side, then?" She asked, changing the topic back.

"He came back once he had started his war and asked."

"That's it? He just asked, and you said yes?"

Elphame looked at Hermione quizzically. "Well, not straight away, no. Tom tried to convince me. He told me all about blood purity, and magic purity." Elphame snorted a laugh. "He was a smart boy, but he could act so very foolish sometimes. He never understood that we are not like him, but he never threatened us like so many other so called dark lords before him, so I heard his plea. It was … lacking. I went in search of his opposition. There was a Minister of Magic, but he refused to see me without an appointment. Some of the half fey told me about a man, a secret leader. Albus Dumbledore. He told me that this war did not involve me and that I should stay out of it. As if the fate of the wizarding world did not concern me. Tom's ideology was flawed, in fact, it still is. But at least he wanted to change his world, rather than letting it decay."

"There's changing the world, and then there is the genocide of all muggleborns. His change is not the good sort!" Hermione's words were harsh, but not quite a shout. Perhaps it was because they were still in the library.

"Do you think me foolish, Hermione? Tom is not the first dark lord I've met, nor is he the first to win his war. Change often comes from darkness because they are the ones willing to burn down the forest to encourage new growth. That doesn't mean I left him to it. I nudged here and there. Each war I helped him fight cost him a pact. A pact with a fey is a strong thing. It is magic closely tied to divination and prophecy. It is a promise that cannot go unfilled without great consequences. Most of my brethren are tricky, and they create pacts that are almost never worth the cost, not to humans anyway. I gave Tom soldiers and he gave me any and all fey that live in his world. That is how I was able to retrieve both of you." Elphame explained. It was perhaps the most serious that Hermione had ever heard her.

"And the second wizarding war?"

"I gave him information that saved his life, and in return he vowed to end the inequality of his world."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "It was an empty promise then. Even if he wanted to, I doubt he could. His platform for war was one of segregation and hate. You can't just come back from that."

"Oh, I know." Elphame said darkly with a nod. "One way or another the wizarding world will be remade. It is long overdue, and if Tom does not set the forest ablaze, then I will."


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of their morning consisted of meditation. Elphame took them into the garden where they ate and led them to a secluded area off to the side. Crookshanks ate with them. Elphame had even set a space for him at their table and always served him before getting her own food.

Elphame didn't call it meditation though, she called it 'seeing the truth of magic', but either way, it was still difficult for Hermione. She wasn't particularly good at turning her mind off.

Luna took to meditation much easier than Hermione did, but in the end, and after a lot of struggle, it was well worth it.

Still, it took several days. They'd meet for breakfast and then meditate until lunch. After lunch everyone went their own way. Hermione often ended up reading, to no one's surprise, and Luna would usually end up exploring the garden. She came back with stories from the small fey that lived there, between the flowers.

On the fourth day of meditation, Hermione finally got it.

She could feel everything. Every blade of grass, every blooming flower, ever tiny fey playing in the forest, and every swirl of magic around her. It was only a few seconds, but it was more than Hermione had ever experienced before.

Then she focused on blurring the lines between herself, and everything else. She had magic in her. She knew this, it was what she used to cast spells. Tightly curled up in her core, and released only when needed, and through a wand.

Wandless magic had taught her that letting it seep out was just another way to cast a spell. What if she just let go? Let all her magic become one with the magic around her?

She let go.

Hermione knew she was good at magic. Generally speaking of course. Other people had more experience or knowledge than her, and Hermione knew that while she could hold her own, she was in no way a fantastic dueler. What she was good with was understanding magic at a theoretical level. She could easily figure out why and how a spell worked. All the needed components just tended to lay themselves bare to her.

Incantation. Intent. Ability. Wand movement. Power level. It all combined into a singular spell, and that was the part of magic that Hermione just got.

Now she understood why. What she was seeing right now was the truth of magic, just as Elphame had said.

It was exactly how Hermione had always seen magic, though it had always been in her head before. Just an image she had created to explain how everything was connected, just a simple lattice of interconnecting threads.

Now it was real. Tangible.

Hermione reached a hand out to a loose thread that was connected to a singular blade of grass. She tugged at it gently. It didn't move, but through it Hermione could feel every other blade of grass. Each one connected by more thin, white threads. She wondered if she could…

Startled, Hermione yanked her hand back. From the single blade she had been touching, every single bit of grass was slowly turning purple.

Elphame let out a happy giggle from where she sat next to Hermione. Hermione glanced up at her, before quickly looking away. It was painful to gaze upon Elphame. She had so many threads flowing off her that she glowed incredibly brightly. Such a pure white light burnt into Hermione's eyes. Even with eyes closed she could still see the outline of Elphame's figure. Eventually it faded.

Concentrating, Hermione hid away her new found ability. Turning off the fey way of seeing the world, trapping her own magical core back inside herself. For a moment, Hermione felt tiny. Like she had lost part of herself.

Then Luna dropped into the grass next to her.

"I like the purple. It's very pretty."

Hermione groaned while Elphame giggled.

"Awww."

Hermione glanced at Luna, before she noticed that the grass around Elphame was starting to turn green again. It flowed from her, covering the whole field while Luna watched in disappointment.

"You did it, Hermione." Elphame said happily. "You've finally seen the world as it is."

"It's amazing." Hermione said quietly. She glanced at Luna. "You see it too, right?"

Luna shook her head. "Not quite like you. It's never the same. I see swirls of colour. Currents, like a flowing river. What do you see?"

"Threads." Hermione paused. " A lot of threads. They connect everything."

"Yes." Luna said arily. "I imagine they do."

Elphame looked between the two of them curiously.

"Did you see anything else?"

Hermione scratched her neck awkwardly.

"Well, I saw you. There were a lot of threads attached to you."

"Of course. Did you see my glow?"

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and Luna shook her head. She hadn't even thought to look for Elphame's glow.

"No. I could barely see you."

Elphame nodded. "That's fine. Now that you can see everything, I can teach you to only see select things. Like glow, and spells. You were able to see because you gave yourself to the world. When you became a part of everything, everything became a part of you.

"We're different in how we use magic. I'm going to have to reteach you everything,but I think both of you will be quick learners. Witches and wizards were gifted magic. It's inside them, and they have to control it tightly so that when it releases from them it does what they want. Fey are different. We too have a magical core, but that's not how we do magic. We reach out with our magical core and grab the magic around us, and use that to influence the world. Witches and wizards are as strong as what's inside them, but we are strong as what's around us. Now, let's see about getting you to see a glow, Hermione."

/

It took weeks for Hermione to get the hang of it. By week two she could see another fey's glow, but there was more to it than that.

Luna's glow curled across her cheekbone and wiggled down to her jaw, almost like a fake tear. Hermione spent almost an hour looking at it, and then trying to find it again once she had turned off her sight. Luna sat happily and waited as finger ran across her cheek. She'd spent years doing this to the marks on Hermione's arms after all.

Weeks three, four and five were consumed with more training. Hermione learnt to tell a werewolf in their human form by seeing the curse inside of them. Greyback hadn't even realised they were spying on him, thanks to Elphame's strong disillusionment charm.

They had made frequent trips back to the magical world. Each one with a purpose, and each one just as hidden as the next.

They learnt to identify animagus by the animal or human shadows trailing behind them, the look and feel of different spells and where magic had been used in the recent past. Hermione had even caused a death eater's spell to veer off course by tugging on a thread. He'd been mocked by his friends, and Elphame had congratulated her on it. She seemed to encourage any and all trickery that Hermione and Luna wanted to indulge in.

It was all very interesting, but Hermione couldn't help but feel like they were training for a reason. Like this was all leading up to something.

/

A week and Andromeda still wasn't used to the fact that she lived with Bellatrix again. Seventeen years had been long enough, thank you very much.

Today was different though. Andromeda wasn't sure how, exactly, but it was. Bellatrix didn't rush off the moment that she finished eating like all the previous mornings. Even on the weekend, Bellatrix hadn't stuck around.

Today Bellatrix didn't leave and Narcissa didn't come to babysit them. Instead, long after she had finished eating, Bellatrix sat at the dining table, flicking through a small mountain of scrolls. Her gaze flicked between her scrolls and Tonks periodically. It was driving Andromeda crazy.

Suddenly Bellatrix stood and gathered her scrolls.

"Come."

Without waiting Bellatrix left the room. Tonks scooped up Teddy and followed much quicker than Andromeda managed to. They followed Bellatrix up to the third floor, to what used to be Cygnus Black's study. Bellatrix and Tonks entered with no fear, but Andromeda paused. She could see it looked nothing like it used to. When her or her sisters were called in to explain themselves and take their punishment. A fair amount of Black blood was spilt on that carpet.

Bellatrix had theorised once that their father's study was where the family wards were held. Only Blacks could enter, and no, Andromeda hadn't missed the fact that her Nymphadora and Teddy were able to enter, or more importantly, Bellatrix had expected them to be able to. Andromeda knew there were blood wards around the house, she'd seen people be blocked by them. She knew they needed semi-regular reinforcement. That was just how that sort of magic worked. She could only assume that Narcissa had kept the wards up while Bellatrix was in Azkaban, since their father had passed long before then.

If Bellatrix had claimed the study as her own, then the blood wards had to be in there. Bellatrix hated the room as much as she did.

Andromeda's uncertainty causing her to pause in the hallway was apparently all the cause Bellatrix needed.

"What a good point, Andy!" Bellatrix said with clearly faked glee. "You don't have any business in here. Go find something else to do."

The door slammed in her face. Andromeda reached for the door handle and a small lick of electricity shocked her hand. It was mild, nothing more than a warning to stay out. Anyone without Black blood would have been much more badly hurt.

Andromeda huffed and turned around, going back down the stairs. If Bellatrix wanted her to find something to do, then she would. She would snoop, and most likely raid the medical store. It was always good to have some dittany on hand.

/

Bellatrix turned from the door and nodded towards the seats facing her desk.

"Sit."

Tonks took a seat, balancing Teddy on her knee while Bellatrix dumped the pile of scrolls she carried from breakfast onto her desk. Bellatrix dropped into a chair and pulled it up to her desk. She sighed deeply. Merlin she hated paperwork. Where was Weasley when you needed him?

"How long were you an auror?"

Tonks frowned slightly at the question. "Ten years, plus three of training. I got in right after Hogwarts."

"So you know the majority of the idiots that you worked with."

Tonks paused. She knew that she should play the part, it's what she had been doing this whole week. Submissive, non-combative. But Bellatrix hadn't been horrible. She hadn't even come across as crazy, or unstable. She'd been a bit standoffish after their first day, but that was the worst of it. Narcissa had been ruder, though that all seemed aimed at Andromeda rather than her. Narcissa had obviously become quite charmed by Teddy, and more than once Tonks had woken from a nap in the library to find Andromeda hovering uncertainly while Narcissa played with him.

Tonks looked Bellatrix in the eyes for the first time since the day Bellatrix claimed them.

"They're not all idiots. Just most of them."

Bellatrix snorted. "You've gotten your bite back. Good. Watching you mope around like some sort of trained monkey was quite depressing."

Bellatrix flicked a hand towards the scrolls.

"Now tell me what you know about all of them."

Tonks picked up the first scroll hesitantly and unrolled at when Bellatrix made no move to stop her.

"Dawlish." She said in a whisper. "I thought he died."

"No, far from it." Bellatrix said airily. She had settled back in her chair, one foot resting on her desk as she tipped her chair back. "In fact, he was one of the first to defect to our side."

Tonks scoffed. "Of course he was. Useless bastard constantly tripped over his own shadow, but was such a yes man that Fudge kept him around far longer than he should of. If you want someone who will do whatever you want, he's your guy. Just don't give him too hard of an order."

"So far you're not convincing me that they're not all idiots."

Tonks rolled the scroll up and placed it to the side. She picked out another random one.

"Savage. See, she's not an idiot."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "What high praise."

They went through the rest of the scrolls. Williamson. Proudfoot. Peasegood. Wiggleswade. Robards. There were heaps of employment files, and applications. Some were people that Tonks had worked with, and some were nothing more than hire hit wizards. And then there was Umbridge. Tonks stared in disbelief at that one. Bellatrix set the scroll on fire.

"She's not happy playing second fiddle to Weasley, so she's hoping to jump into Head Auror or Head of Magical Law Enforcement." Bellatrix scoffed. "Like I'd do that. Then I'd have to deal with her even more."

"Why…" Tonks licked her lips hesitantly. "Why would you have to deal with her?"

Bellatrix's chair thumped to the ground and she stood, stretching and clicking her back.

"Brat, what exactly is it you think I do for our Lord?"

"Train death eaters?" Tonks asked slowly.

Bellatrix laughed. "Our Lord's favoured one, his second in command, his most loyal, and you think I train baby death eaters? No, I do as he bids, and when he has no orders for me I do as I see fit to make sure his rule is complete and unopposed."

Bellatrix rounded the desk and took Tonks' chin in her hand, forcing her to look up at Bellatrix.

"My dear niece, I didn't stay strong in Azkaban for fourteen years because I believe in something as flimsy as blood purity. I stayed loyal because I knew that my Lord would need me. I knew that none of those annoying sycophants would be able to break this world apart, just so that our Lord could build it back up again. I'll be damned back to Azkaban before I do a bad job rebuilding the waste of space world we used to live in. Things will be better now, the Dark Lord will see to that. Yesterday I trained death eaters, today I find a new DMLE head, and a new Head Auror. Tomorrow, the world is a little more complete."

Bellatrix let go of Tonks' chin and moved back to her desk chair. She dropped into it.

"I should just make you Head Auror. At least you're not an idiot. And you're a Black, so I'm sure you'd do a fine job."

Tonks couldn't help it. She laughed. The thought of her being Head Auror, in this postwar world was hilarious. The revelation that Bellatrix actually seemed to care about their world, their society in a slightly twisted way was icing on top of the cake. She was passionate, if somewhat misguided. Tonks would give her that.

"It's too bad Madam Bones isn't around anymore. She was a good department head."

Bellatrix frowned at her. "Yes, well that's what happens when you're so obviously against the new regime. She was always very clear on her anti-death eater views."

Tonks nodded. "Yeah, she was. She was still fair though. After Harry saw … uh… the Dark Lord rise, there were a few months where several aurors bought in people, claiming they were death eaters. Most of the time they didn't even have a trial, but after Bones got word of it all she personally looked into it and every single one of those poor bastards was let go and given compensation for the system being screwed. The aurors weren't so lucky. I even heard her arguing with Fudge about it. He wanted to just ignore it all because they were criminals anyway, which was mostly true, but she wouldn't let it go. She never joined the Order either. Claimed it would make her biased. I respected that."

Bellatrix looked marginally impressed. "Yes, she would be an interesting choice, wouldn't she?"

"Too bad she's dead."

Bellatrix's eyes snapped her Tonks and a smile curled on her lips.

"Too bad indeed. Dismissed, Brat. Do what you will with the rest of your day."

Bellatrix stood, turned on her heels and apperated away. She obviously had business elsewhere.


	8. Chapter 8

It was not possible to apparate to the place Bellatrix was headed. Not directly. She had to apparate to a small village, and from there fly for half an hour on a broom she had acquired to reach a forest. Hidden an hour's walk into the forest was an apperation gate that would take her to her destination. It was a hassle to get there, but it was meant to be.

Bellatrix's journey through the forest was quicker than most people's. The vines and trees were charmed to grab at unwanted visitors, and they often tried even with those who had authorisation. They never tried it with Bellatrix. At least, not after the first time she had burnt her way through to the apperation gate. You could still see the charred trees if you knew where to look.

Stepping up to the gate with a grumble, Bellatrix was just glad she wouldn't have to do this all going back.

The room Bellatrix apperated into was brightly lit. Obnoxiously so. She turned and faced the warden who was meant to greet and security check every visitor to the prison. The warden didn't look up from the Prophet's daily crossword.

"Name, prisoner, and purpose of visit."

Bellatrix didn't answer. She just drew her wand and twirled it between her fingers. She gritted her teeth, controlling her anger. It took a solid five minutes for the warden to realise she hadn't answers him and look up.

As soon as he saw her he paled.

"Madam Lestrange!"

Bellatrix snarled down at him. "It's Black now, and to answer your questions, none of your business. Where is the master cell key?"

The warden looked away nervously, but dug in his pocket for a large keyring. As soon as it was visible Bellatrix flicked her wand, grabbing the keys from his hand with magic. She turned with a sneer and stormed out of the office.

She knew where to go, she'd been the one to drag half the prisoners in there to begin with. Stoneforge Prison had been her idea. Somewhere to hide people away that fought against them but could be useful later. A prison with no dementors, but also somewhere for temporary stays as well. Many of Greyback's werewolves spent their first change in Stoneforge. It was one of the few places secure enough for them.

Hands shot out between bars, trying to grab at Bellatrix's cloak. Bellatrix let a cackle bubble up from inside her and suddenly the reaching hands and name calling stopped.

Bellatrix moved deeper into Stoneforge, further down. Barred cells gave way to solid steel doors and silencing charms. Bellatrix stopped in front of a door. She drew the keys from her side and selected one. She slid it into the slot and unlocked the door with a heavy clunk. The door opened inwards, and Bellatrix met the prisoner with a wide grin.

"Madam Bones, you seem to be doing well."

Amelia Bones sat on a single bed that took up most of the room. There was a chamber pot, and a small window at the top of the wall and nothing else. She was dirty, her hair a mess after not having bathed in over a year. When Amelia Bones looked up at her however, Bellatrix could tell she hadn't lost any of her fight. What a wonderfully defiant gaze.

"Madam Lestrange." Amelia said with a rough voice.

"It's Black, actually." Bellatrix said cheerfully. "Rodolphus died somewhat recently."

A small smirk curled over Amelia's lips. "Congratulations."

Bellatrix's eyes lit up. Amelia was the first to congratulate her, it made for a novel change.

"Thank you, I killed him myself."

"Cleaning up loose ends, are you?" Amelia questioned.

Bellatrix's grin widened. "Oh. You think I'm here to kill you. No, we're going to do something much more fun. We're going to have a little chat. Up you get, Bonsey, we have places to be."

Amelia struggled to her feet. Her cell wasn't big enough for much exercise, she'd spent much of her stay in her bed.

Bellatrix grabbed Amelia's arm and steadied her. She raised her wand to the collar around Amelia's neck and poured her magic into it. The colour resisted for a few seconds, but with a loud crack it gave in. Amelia was hers now.

Setting a brisk pace, Bellatrix half led, half dragged Amelia back to the warden's office. It was the only place in the whole building that wasn't covered in an anti-apperation field.

Bellatrix chucked the cell keys at the warden and sneered at him when he mentioned getting prisoner transfer forms for her. With a crack, Bellatrix brought Amelia to one of the spare bedrooms in Black Manor. Amelia immediately fell to her knees and threw up.

"Well that's distasteful."

Amelia wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand and glared up at Bellatrix.

"A year and a half of bread and water isn't great for one's constitution."

"Try fourteen years. Then you can complain to me." Bellatrix cackled.

Bellatrix drew and waved her wand, clearing away the mess.

"Up you get, Bonesy."

Amelia grumbled but did as asked. Bellatrix led her through a door and into a bathroom.

"I thought we were going to talk, Mistress Black."

"So polite, Bonesy! We will, but you smell rather awful." Bellatrix started the bath, letting a faint smell of lavender fill the room. "Get in."

Amelia stared at the bath and then Bellatrix.

"You're not going to leave, are you?"

"What a clever one you are." Bellatrix's voice turned dark and serious. "No. You're much too valuable, and far too resourceful for me to take my eyes off of you. Get in, Bones."

Amelia nodded slowly and started to strip. Her eyes never left Bellatrix as she slipped into the bath. She couldn't help the sigh she released after submerging herself in the bath however. Bellatrix sniggered at her.

"Like you'd have been any better after Azkaban." Amelia snapped.

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow. "I spent three hours in the bath. You won't be getting quite that long. I'm not as patient as Cissy was."

Amelia snorted and started to scrub her skin with the cloth and soap that sat at the edge of the bath. Bellatrix stared as she washed, but even her dark gaze couldn't dampen the pure bliss of bathing for the first time in over a year. As the water started to turn cold, Amelia stood and took the towel Bellatrix offered her. She reached for her prison garb only to have Bellatrix make a disapproving noise and gesture to the bathroom door. Gripping her towel tighter around her, Amelia headed out the door.

"Zanny." Bellatrix called as she followed Amelia.

Amelia tried, and failed to not jump as a soft crack announced the entrance of Bellatrix's elf.

"How may Zanny serve Misses Black?"

"Get some food and a change of clothes for Bones. She will be my guest for the foreseeable future. My slaves aren't to know anything about her. Is that clear?"

Zanny eyed Amelia, and she couldn't help but think that the elf saw far more than another might.

Zanny nodded solemnly. "Of course, Misses."

She popped away.

Bellatrix turned to Amelia. She reached a hand out, and as much as Amelia wanted to fight the touch, she knew she couldn't. She was weak. She'd been neglected over the past year or so, and while once upon a time Amelia knew she could of taken Bellatrix in a physical fight, she certainly couldn't now. Especially since Bellatrix had her wand and Amelia had nothing. She wasn't even sure who would win a duel between the two of them if they'd both been at their best.

Bellatrix's fingers landed on Amelia's collar and tightened. She pulled Amelia towards her, until their faces were uncomfortably close. Bellatrix was taller, but not by much.

"Stay here, eat and then rest. We'll have our little chat tomorrow, Bonesy." Bellatrix's voice darkened. "But remember that you're in my house now. I know everything that goes on here and you're not the only Bones left in this world. There are others."

Hope fluttered in Amelia's chest. Others plural. Her sister-in-law and niece seemed to be alive. She had wondered what happened to them the night she was taken. Susan would have been safe at Hogwarts, but Olive had been staying with her. She had always assumed that Olive couldn't of made it.

"Others," Bellatrix continued. "that are rather easy to find. You know me, Bones. You know what I'm capable of. Stay in the rooms."

The door slammed behind Bellatrix as she left.

Amelia ate the light broth that Zanny bought her, and changed into the pajamas given to her. She hunted around in the bathroom and found a toothbrush and a hair brush. Both she put to good use.

Exhaustion pulled at Amelia but she searched the rooms she'd been confined to carefully. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She didn't find a single dark artifact, which seemed almost strange in Black Manor but Bellatrix wasn't stupid enough to leave her a weapon.

At least, she assumed they were in Black Manor. Bellatrix was the head of house Black, unless Sirius Black had somehow managed to survive the war after his escape from the ministry. Word on him had been oddly quiet since before Amelia had been imprisoned. She doubted he had survived.

Amelia placed her hand on the door handle for a moment and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and twisted the handle. It was unlocked. She stood there for a long time, trying to decide what to do. Eventually she let go of the doorknob and it clicked back into place. It wasn't worth her family suffering.

/

Amelia was awoken by a small prod to her shoulder. Standing on the bed next to her was Zanny.

"Misses should get up now. Zanny has bought breakfast and robes. Misses Black will be here soon."

Amelia groaned and rolled over. She was gently prodded on the shoulder again, and she couldn't help the chuckle that rose through her lips.

"Thank you Zanny, I'm awake."

It was the best night sleep Amelia had been able to get in quite a while, and she suspected that the bed was charmed. She most certainly had been far too on edge to actually sleep last night. Amelia knew herself well enough to know that. Yet the moment she lay down and closed her eyes she seemed to drift off.

Amelia rolled out of bed and stretched. Quickly she got changed into the robes Zanny had bought her and started on the plain porridge waiting on her bedside table.

Amelia had barely finished eating when Bellatrix stormed into the room and planted herself roughly on one of the many couches in the large room. The door slammed shut behind her, and several privacy charms and silencing spells were placed over the room with absent minded wand flicks while Bellatrix read through a scroll of parchment. Bellatrix gestured towards the armchair opposite her, and Amelia sat in it carefully.

Neither of them spoke for a long while.

"Black, what am I doing here?"

Bellatrix grinned. "Forgoing all sense of proprietary then?"

"You've been calling me Bonesy."

"It's an endearment, really."

"Black! Why the hell am I here?"

Bellatrix chuckled. "Ah, good to see that you've still got some bite to you. I was having an interesting conversation the other day. It came to light that you may have more to offer than originally thought."

"I've been locked up in your prison for over a year. What possible information could I have about the department that would help you win the war?" Amelia huffed.

Bellatrix's eyes widened momentarily before she threw her head back and laughed.

"Oh Bones! No no no! The war is over, we won."

Amelia stared blankly at Bellatrix. "If that porridge was to be my last meal you could of put a bit more sugar in it."

"Oh stop that. I told you that I didn't come to kill you."

"Then what possible use could I be to you?"

"We're rebuilding, putting this world right after a long, long time of it being a bloody mess. I need you to head the Department of Magical Law Enforcement again."

"No."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "You're being awfully short sighted here."

"No. I won't work for the man who killed my brothers."

"It's not like our Lord killed them personally."

"That's not the point." Amelia managed through gritted teeth.

Bellatrix just rolled her eyes and left.

The next three days followed a similar pattern. Bellatrix would barge into the room and ask her to head the DMLE. She refused everytime. Bellatrix had yet to give her a good reason to. At least she hadn't tried to torture her into it.

Once she had said yes, and then immediately changed her mind, just to mess with Bellatrix. Amelia had thought it funny. Bellatrix hadn't. She'd broken a vase on her way out. If the tightly pressed, but slightly curved lips of Zanny were any indication, then the elf also found it at least a little bit funny.

On day five Amelia was awoken with a knock to the door. She sat straight up in the bed. Her days had mostly consisted of sleeping, eating, being badgered by Bellatrix, and slowly working on getting her muscles used to working again.

The knock came again, just as Amelia was almost able to convince herself she'd dreamt it.

"One moment!"

Quickly, Amelia changed into the robes that Zanny had started to leave hanging in the bathroom for her. She quickly brushed her teeth and hair, and washed her face before heading to the door. Whoever was on the other side obviously wasn't Bellatrix, and they obviously held some sense of decorum if they were knocking.

Amelia opened the door, standing tall. Before her was Zanny holding a tea set and a young woman with black, chin length hair. The woman wore dark blue robes that flattered here figure, and were obviously well made. She curtseyed politely, but her eyes never left Amelia's.

"Madam Bones, I apologise for the early hour, but I have a rather busy day ahead and this was the only spare time I had. May we come in?"

Amelia glanced at the clock in the room. Just past eight in the morning. Early, but not offensively so. Amelia nodded and stepped back. Zanny moved forward first, placing the tea set on the low table by the couches. The young woman followed and sat in one of the arm chairs. She poured two cups of tea, and added sugar and milk to hers as she pleased. Amelia followed and prepared her own cup.

"Introductions are in order, I think. I know who you are, Madam Bones, despite us never having met. I imagine this is not an unusual situation to yourself in. I am Lady Pansy Parkinson, head of the Parkinson family. I currently work in the Ministry as a peacekeeper."

"A peacekeeper, Lady Parkinson? Not something you learnt from your mother."

Pansy raised an eyebrow and took a sip of her tea.

"No, it's not. Mother was many things, but she was never very good with her words. I understand it used to drive Lady Malfoy batty, trying to undo the damage my mother could cause in a single evening. It's a shame that the engagement between Draco and I fell through. Lady Malfoy did put an awful lot of effort into it. I do hope, Madam Bones, that you won't hold my parent's sins against me. I am aware of the sort of people they were, but they were casualties to the war, and they hold no sway over me anymore."

"As you wish, Lady Parkinson. My sympathies for your loss."

Pansy smiled ever so slightly. "Thank you."

"May I be blunt?" Amelia asked after a few silent seconds had passed. It seemed that Pansy was not going to rush this conversation, even if she did have a busy day like she claimed.

"I have found," Pansy said slowly. "that one of the best traits shared between those who have been aurors, is their hate of small talk and tendency to get down to business. It's such a change of pace from the pureblood circles I grew up in. Please, Madam Bones, be as blunt as you wish."

"Why are you here?"

"Mistress Black asked me to talk to you. She has become rather set on the idea of you heading the DMLE. She tells me you are being entirely uncooperative, and rather obtuse." Pansy hid a smile behind her tea cup, but Amelia still saw it. "She has a way with words when she wants to."

Amelia snorted. "Always has. She got out of more than her fair share of trouble at Hogwarts because of it."

"I can only imagine. Now, shall we get down to business? Mistress Back has informed me that she offered you the job, and you refused. May I enquire as to why?"

"I will not support the regime that killed my brothers."

"Ah, well I certainly understand that, Madam Bones. However, would you allow me to express an … alternative train of thought."

Amelia nodded. There was little harm in letting Pansy talk, and at least she was able to talk to someone other than Bellatrix for once.

"The ministry, and in fact much of Britain's wizarding society as a whole has been in slow decay for years, if not centuries. A war was inevitable. When the ministry fell, it was not through force. People died, of course, but it was an insidious take over. Your capture was part of it. We couldn't very well have the known death eater hater as Minister, now could we?"

Amelia raised an eyebrow and Pansy chuckled.

"I may have had a few things to say about it all." Amelia said dryly.

"You could have a chance to say more."

"What do you mean?"

"We are rebuilding, Madam Bones. Mistress Back does not want you because you know the job, she wants you because you will do the job justice. Frankly put, anyone else would be biased, and Merlin knows we don't need someone like Umbridge coming in and sentencing mudbloods to Azkaban just because she can." Pansy placed her tea cup on the table and stared pointedly at Amelia. "Taking this job does not mean that you support our Lord or his ideas Taking this job means that you get to change things, to protect and serve those you care about. There is no shame in changing sides to ensure a better world. You would not be the first witch to do so."

"Lady Parkinson, why the fuck do you of all people care about how muggleborns are treated?"

"I don't. I couldn't care less about it all, aside from the obvious uprising that would eventually happen. I am a peacekeeper, Madam Bones, my opinion does not matter. I cannot have an agenda other than doing my job. I have simply decided that the easiest way to maintain peace is by supporting Mistress Black."

"Why her?"

"Why indeed?" Pansy let out an airy chuckle. "Mistress Back is more bark than bite these days. Oh, she's still very capable of going through with her threats, but she has a purpose now, and she won't let anything get in the way. Even if that thing is herself. It's rather noble I suppose, but is also beyond my understanding. I pride myself, Madam Bones, on my information gathering. I know what is going to happen well before it does, and it is how I proved my worth in this war. I have absolutely no idea what it is that drives Bellatrix Black right now. All I know is that she is pushing the world into a certain image that possibly only she sees, but that it is a better world than what we have now, and a much better world than what we used to have. Mistress Back is a follower of the Old Ways, and some people believe that they are coming back."

Amelia's eyes widened. The Old Ways were talked about in hushed whispers. A time when magic was stronger and fey joined their world easily. A time when blood status meant little, and pureblood families took in muggleborns. The Old Ways talked of Lady Magic and her unrelenting control over all things magical.

Pansy rose. "Now, I really do have to go. I've arranged for Zanny to bring you some reading material. Newspapers and the like from your time in prison. A lot has changed about our world, and it doesn't seem fair to have you make such a monumental decision without letting you familiarise yourself with the changes."

Amelia stood and held a hand out to Pansy. Pansy stared at the offered hand for a few seconds before smiling slightly and taking it. It was a hard handshake, and they stared into each other's eyes. Respect could be earnt, even from a supposed enemy.

"Have a good day, Lady Parkinson."

Pansy nodded and headed out the door. She paused just beyond the threshold.

"This door has always been unlocked, Madam Bones, and yet you have not opened it except to let me in. I think perhaps it would do you good to think about why. I am aware that Mistress Black threatened your family's, but I believe that part of you is also interested in her offer. Either way, accepting may be the only way you can keep your family safe, or do your civic duty. Think on it, Madam Bones."

The door slammed shut.

Half an hour later, Amelia was given several stacks of newspapers taller than she was.

/

Bellatrix waited a whole day and a half before barging into Amelia's room again. Amelia had managed to get through the majority of the newspapers, skimming most and only reading the articles that seemed important.

"So, will you take the job yet?"

"Yes." Amelia said, not taking her eyes off of the article about Professor McGonagall's actions during the war, and her supposed turning to the 'right side'.

"You're so annoying… wait, really?"

"Yes." Amelia folded the paper and chucked it on the pile of other newspapers she'd already read through.

Bellatrix's mouth had slightly dropped open in shock.

"On a few conditions, of course."

Shock slowly morphed into a grin. "Good, we have a lot of work to do."

"My conditions, Black."

"Fine." Bellatrix waved a hand for her to continue.

"I get to pick the head Auror."

"Done, but I get a veto in case they're just terrible."

"No one will stop me from firing someone just because they're a death eater, or because daddy has a lot of money."

"Fire and hire whoever you want, just make sure HR doesn't bother me about it."

Amelia took a step towards Bellatrix. "If you ever threaten my family again, I will make you wish you had just left me in prison. Is that understood?"

"Oh Bonesy, as long as you toe the line, your family will be safer than it ever has been. We'd best get you cleaned up. New robes for sure. Can't go seeing the Dark Lord is anything but your best!"


	9. Chapter 9

When Narcissa woke she knew something was wrong. She could feel it in the air, like something was saturating every breath she took.

Sundays were one of the few days Narcissa allowed herself to sleep in, even just for a little bit, but she was regretting that now. She almost regretted not sharing a bed with Lucius, because if he were behind this, she would have known when he woke up. He'd never been particularly conscientious when they'd shared a room.

She rose from her bed and quickly pulled on clean robes. She used magic to cleanse her skin, apply make up and do up her hair; something Narcissa usually preferred to do by hand.

Without pausing to eat the breakfast that had been carefully left out for her, Narcissa was out of her bedroom door and heading towards the source of power floating around the manor. It came from the front sitting room, it seemed.

Narcissa stopped down the hallway and composed herself. She steadied her shoulders and took a deep breath. Whoever it was she couldn't show emotion, she couldn't falter. Her heels clicked on the tiled floor and Narcissa pushed the sitting room door open, never slowing her stride.

Draco and Lucius were both inside, the latter rather enthusiastically talking to the fey queen while Draco listened with lips curled in distaste. Obviously he did not care for his father's choice in conversation topic. The Queen's eyes were wide, but the rest of her face blank as she stared at Lucius. Lucius likely thought it a look of interest, but with her head cocked slightly to the side Narcissa wondered if it were more one of confusion. What was an ant to a god, afterall? Humans must be so pedestrian to her.

Narcissa gritted her teeth but didn't slow her step. She moved forward and interrupted Lucius' conversation with a low curtsey.

"My Lady. I apologise for my tardiness. Had I know you were coming I'd have made sure to greet you as you arrived."

The Queen stood as Narcissa rose from her curtsey. She dwarfed everyone else in the room with her impressive height, and Narcissa felt a shiver flow down her spine when the Queen grinned at her with needle sharp teeth. The Queen raised a hand and cupped Narcissa's cheek. She spoke softly, ignoring the tension in Narcissa's body. Tensing was a natural response. Narcissa had seen those very fingers elongate into claws after all.

"There is nothing to apologise for. It is good to see you again, my dear. You seem to have grown in courage since then."

Narcissa felt her blood run cold, though she forced herself to not show it on her face. She had only ever seen the fey Queen the once, and Narcissa had spent the whole meeting hiding in the shadows. She had thought, hoped even, that she had escaped notice.

Yaxley bragged about the fairy he had captured. She was small, about the size of a doll, and from what everyone could tell, she was long dead. But Yaxley kept her with him like some sort of toy. He made the poor thing dance like a puppet.

She wasn't ugly like a doxy, or an imp, but rather looked like a miniature human, just with large butterfly wings. Narcissa knew that she had been a sentient person once, not merely a fey creature. It made her uneasy. Keeping a corpse around to play with was distasteful in the first place, but a fey? That was just asking for trouble.

Trouble is what Yaxley got.

The fey queen appeared silently. She just suddenly existed in the shadows at the corner of the room, her eyes glowing with rage.

Narcissa had never met her before, but she knew Bellatrix had. Just the once. When the Queen came to pledge several of her soldiers to the Dark Lord's cause a few weeks ago.

Bellatrix had come back from that meeting and told Narcissa everything. Bellatrix had been somewhat terrified of her, and that put Narcissa on edge. But seeing her in the shadows, Narcissa understood. Narcissa herself sat at the edge of the room, not quite involved in the meeting since she wasn't officially a death eater. Being pregnant with the Malfoy heir was enough of a reason to be spared the dark mark.

Only the Black sisters seemed to realise the fey queen was there. Everything Bellatrix told her about the woman was true, and that's when Narcissa realised who she was. Who she really was. Narcissa and Bellatrix's eyes met, and Narcissa tapped the side of her temple subtly. She welcomed Bellatrix into her mind, hoping to warn her sister before someone did something they'd regret.

Narcissa had figured out who the woman was, after all, and it terrified her.

The fey queen, yes. But she was also Lady Magic. The beginning and ending of all that was magical in their world.

After that revelation Bellatrix nearly had a complete breakdown right at the meeting. You couldn't believe in pureblood supremacy when you'd met Lady Magic. She proved that deep down everyone was the same, no matter their blood. Everyone received the gift of magic in the same way, pure blood, or otherwise.

Narcissa had been able to distract her long enough for Bellatrix to calm herself. Bellatrix had never been particularly good at calm, more one to react emotionally, consequences be damned. Still, it worked, much to Narcissa's relief.

The Queen moved from the shadows, her tall form making no noise, and to many it seemed like she had appeared out of nowhere. Her teeth were bared, and her fingers lengthened into long claws. Her hand reached out, and even with the warning shouts from around the table, Yaxley couldn't move fast enough.

Her claws were long enough to wrap around his whole head. Claw tips dug into his cheeks and jaw when he tried to speak.

Bellatrix had been watching her approach and was the first to act. With a few flicks of her wands she had disarmed all the death eaters who drew their wands. She was growled at, insulted even, but Bellatrix kept her eyes on the Queen. She received a discreet nod back.

"We made a deal, little prince. You were meant to keep your war away from my kind. It's only been a short while and yet already you let your followers kill mine, and DESECRATE THEIR BODIES!"

Narcissa's gaze dropped to her hands, unable to watch the anger that appeared on the Queen's face. The raw power she gave off was immense, and all consuming. She was not the only one forced to look away. When she was finally able to look up, Narcissa saw that Yaxley's head was being held painfully tight. Blood flowed freely from beneath the Queen's fingers.

"If you feel like this is a breach of our deal, you can exact a punishment you see fit." Voldemort said flippantly.

"I should not have to." The Queen hissed. "You should have stepped in much earlier than this. I will however, make sure your followers know not to cross me."

She let go of Yaxley, and he fell forward, his hands coming up to his face with a whimper.

The Queen kicked at the chair he was sitting on and it spun around to face her. She reached out and grabbed him by his chin, pulling Yaxley up so that his face was level with hers. His feet weakly kicked out as he hung in the air, slowly choking.

"If you wish to abuse the gift you were given, then you can give it back."

The Queen's eyes glowed red for a few second and then she dropped Yaxley to the floor. Still breathing. Still alive.

"You didn't kill him." Voldemort said disapprovingly.

Lord Voldemort, Narcissa realised, did not understand who he was speaking to. Not truly.

"That was your one chance, little prince. If I find anymore of your followers hurting my fey I will not give you another."

The Queen's finger shrunk, becoming hands once more and she gently scooped up the body of the small fey that lay in the table in front of Yaxley's seat. Then she was simply gone.

Bellatrix dropped the wands she had confiscated from the various death eaters and leapt across the table. She drew Yaxley up by the collar of his robes and slammed him into the wall.

"If you've broken this alliance for us Yaxley, I swear to Merlin that I will make whatever she did to you look like child's play."

Yaxley stared blankly ahead. "You can't. She took it from me."

"Took what?" Bellatrix snapped.

"My magic. I can't feel my magic."

Bellatrix dropped him, and Yaxley slid down to the floor.

"It's what you deserve." She spat. "You utter idiot."

"She took your magic?" Voldemort questioned lightly.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Well, you'd best work on that. You're no use to anyone without magic."

He would never find a way. A month later he begged Bellatrix to kill him. She did.

Bellatrix broke down that night. Screaming, crying and yelling. Narcissa was the only one she allowed near her. She was the only one who heard Bellatrix whisper about her doubts, and her beliefs. One could not believe in blood purity when the Old Ways told you that you were all equal. One could not believe in blood purity when you met the creator of all magic.

Something Lord Voldemort supported must be right though, or Lady Magic wouldn't offer him an alliance. Surely. Perhaps she couldn't follow Lord Voldemort's blood purity rhetoric anymore, but she could follow where Lady Magic led. She could follow the Old Ways.

"I recognise your magic. It is the one thing you can never hide from me, no matter how much you stay in the shadows." The Queen explained softly, for Narcissa's ears only. She rubbed her thumb across Narcissa's lips and chin. "And I never forget a glow. Especially one as pretty at yours."

Narcissa's brow furrowed. She had no idea what a glow was, but it seemed important if the Queen was talking about it that way.

"Cissy, I was having a nice conversation before you barged in here." Lucius snapped.

Narcissa turned to him, her face impassive. "You do not have the right to call me that. Remember your place, Lucius."

His face turned red, and a snarl ripped from Lucius' lips.

"Actually, Father." Draco interrupted Lucius before he could even begin. "I do believe she asked to speak to Mother. I was just keeping her company until Mother woke when you joined us."

Draco had become rather disillusioned with his father, something Narcissa couldn't thank Merlin enough for. Lucius had caused them no end of trouble during the war, and it had only been her own actions that had saved their family name. The Dark Lord had made it quite clear that Lucius had been saved only as a favour to her. Sometimes Narcissa wished he hadn't bothered.

The hand on her cheek pulled Narcissa's attention back to the Queen.

"Your son is right, I did come here to talk to you, Narcissa."

"Of course, my Lady."

"Please, call me Elphame. It is the name my charges have decided to call me by. I feel as if we should allow some informality, considering that I am here to ask you a favour."

Narcissa's heart quickened. A favour from Lady Magic? There was no way she could possibly say no. It could possibly be the only thing to save Bellatrix's life if Granger demanded justice.

Narcissa took in the flowers spread down Elphame's arms.

"Perhaps a walk in the garden, while we discuss business?"

Elphame grinned. "That sounds wonderful."

/

Hermione had questions, but Elphame had been gone for three weeks, and she had been avoiding her for the two weeks before that. It was frustrating because it wasn't even an unreasonable amount of time. Three weeks was only three days in the wizarding world. It was just at a very inopportune time, and Hermione couldn't help but feel it was very much planned.

She'd very briefly mentioned to Elphame that it seemed like they were being trained for something in particular and she had barely see the Queen since. It had been meant as a joke, but Hermione was conscious of the fact that their lesson plans with Elphame were very much focused. Magical theory, combat magic, curse breaking and fey history.

Hermione had taken to leaving charms up around the library and the garden to tell her when someone was there. Eventually it worked out, and shortly before she started getting ready for the night Hermione felt a tingle at the back of her mind. She concentrated on it.

The library.

Luna looked at her questioningly as Hermione stormed from their shared room and down the hall. She threw the door to the library open.

"Elphame!"

Elphame jumped and turned to Hermione from where she was pulling books off the shelves. She grinned.

"Young one! It's late, what are you still doing up?"

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. Elphame's grin slowly fell as Hermione said nothing, and just glared at her.

"Hermione?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. She started to feel a little mean when tears started to well up in Elphame's eyes. The Queen was not particularly good with emotions. Sudden laughter often startled her, and mixed emotions confused her. Surprisingly, sometimes Hermione forgot that Elphame wasn't like her. She wasn't human, or even half human.

"You're angry with me." Elphame said quietly.

"You've been avoiding me."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You're amazing, and so very smart. But you're quick to anger sometimes and I … I don't … I'm not good at dealing with that." Elphame huffed. "I spend most of my time here, and the other fey, those that are full blooded, they don't question me. I have always been their queen and they see no reason not ever doubt what I say."

Elphame grinned at Hermione excitedly. "You're half human though, and you will. It's fantastic! Before wizards and witches existed everyone in the mortal realm was just human and they taught themselves not to trust everyone. They can say no to anyone they want. I…" Elphame trailed off. "I forget that sometimes. I was worried you would say no, so I avoided you."

Hermione sighed. "Say no to what?"

"There are so many fey in the mortal world that need help. I can fight their battles for them, but that doesn't mean that I can win for them. They need to do that themselves. Most of them are half or quarter fey and as much as I love them as they are, I will never truly understand them. You could. I want you to be my representative in the mortal world. Someone who can protect my fey, and make sure that Tom follows through on the promises he made to our kind."

"Is that why you saved me?" Hermione said quietly. She could meet Elphame's eyes.

Elphame gasped in shock and rushed across the room to Hermione.

"No, Young One, of course not. I took you from the mortal realm because you needed me, no other reason. You are mine to protect just as every other fey in this realm and the next is. Once you were here I realised that you were so smart, and caring, and that you'd be perfect to help me."

"Okay, I'll do it."

"Excellent! I've already found someone to teach you how to behave like a pureblood witch."

"What?"

/

When Bellatrix finally escorted Amelia back from their meeting with the Dark Lord, Noory was waiting to inform her that Narcissa had requested her presence.

The meeting had been rather simple. Bellatrix presented Amelia as the new head of Magical Law Enforcement, and then Voldemort nodded. That was all. Amelia spent the next half hour standing silently while Bellatrix and Voldemort talked about other matters. At one point Amelia looked up and met Voldemort's gaze. She quickly looked away, but from the itch at the back of her head she didn't think she had done it fast enough. She had no doubt that Voldemort had been in her brain.

At least she'd had nice new robes and shoes for it all. Even if Bellatrix had yet to remove the collar around her neck.

Bellatrix nodded down at Noory.

"I'll meet her in the library for tea."

Noory popped off.

"Bonesy, you'll stay here for now. We'll get you proper housing and the likes later."

"I have a house."

Bellatrix hummed. "Good point. I imagine it was seized when you were imprisoned. I'll look into it. Now, since you've finally pulled your head out of your arse and decided to head the DMLE, you are my guest. Feel free to call on Zanny or Noory if you need anything. You're more than welcome to wander the house, but I do ask that you keep conversation with my slaves to a minimum."

"Does that mean you'll take this damn collar off?"

Bellatrix laughed. "Once you sign the magically binding contract for your job, sure. Until then you're still my responsibility and it's so much easier to track you with the collar on."

Bellatrix lent forward and patted Amelia's cheek.

"Be a good little Bonesy, and we'll get it all sorted."

She turned on her heel, and left a fuming Amelia in search of her sister.

Narcissa was sipping tea when Bellatrix entered the library. She entered the room as she did everything in her life; loudly, and drawing attention to herself.

"Cissy! What brings you by?"

Narcissa gestured towards the chair opposite her and Bellatrix collapsed into it dramatically. She scooped up the tea Narcissa had prepared for her and took a sip.

"I need you to promise me something, Bellatrix."

Bellatrix tilted her head and stared at Narcissa.

"It must be serious. Usually you're a lot more coy about what you want."

Narcissa sighed heavily. "I was visited this morning by Lady Magic."

Bellatrix tensed and sat up straight in her seat.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. She asked me for a favour."

"You said no." Bellatrix interrupted. "Tell me you said no."

"Bella…"

"Narcissa! I shouldn't have to tell you not to make deals with fey!"

"I'm not stupid, Bella." Narcissa snapped. "It's not a deal. I've agreed to do something for her, and in return she owes me a boon."

"Then you had better word that boon carefully. Fey are tricksters, they will twist your words. It's part of their nature, they can't help it, and she has more power than any other."

"It will be fine, Bella."

"I hope so, Cissy. I truly do. Now what did you want me to promise you?"

"I need you to owl me before you visit the Manor for the foreseeable future. I will be teaching one of Lady Magic's charges in the ways of pureblood society and etiquette. For what reason, I do not know, but that is what I have been tasked with."

"The mudblood."

Narcissa nodded. "Yes, Miss Granger will be visiting me at Malfoy Manor nearly everyday until she can interact with other purebloods properly."

"I see." Bellatrix said softly.

"I think we can both agree that's it's best for Miss Granger to forget you exist for as long as possible."


End file.
